Goodbye to Summer
by amberissmiling
Summary: The Glee Club spends one last weekend together before they start their senior year. Finchel central, but the whole club is around and dealing with their own issues.
1. Chapter 1

Santana opened the door to the Fabray's lake house to find Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsbury standing on the welcome mat…

…carrying two cases of beer?

"Santana!" Mr. Schue said smiling. "It's good to see you!"

Santana cocked her head. "I can see that you had no idea we were coming," Emma said, elbowing Will. "Puck must not have mentioned it to you guys."

"Nope," Santana said uncertainly. "But whatever it is…I like it." She moved aside and let the older couple in.

Will sat his case of beer on the couch and Emma sat hers beside it. "Now," he said, looking at Santana, "I've already talked to Puck and Quinn and her mother about this." He motioned toward the beer. "We had agreed that if you guys stayed away from alcohol while you were in school you could celebrate when it was over. Since you're all here for this weekend, I figured this would be a good time to get it out of the way."

"Santana," Emma said, touching the girls arm, "it's really important that you kids understand the seriousness of-"

Santana held up her hand. "During school Mr. Schue gave us the lecture, made us do a book report, we had to _pinky promise_ we wouldn't let it get out of hand, yada yada. We've got this."

Emma nodded and looked at Will. "Maybe we should talk to the other kids?" she asked him.

Will put his arm around Emma and winked at Santana over her head. "They'll see us next week," he told her.

"Oh, but Will, shouldn't we say something to them?" Emma said as Will led her to the door.

"We'll see you later Santana," Will said over his shoulder, leaving the house.

"Bye Mr. Schue, Ms. Pillsbury," Santana said, watching them leave. She stared at the beer for a moment, smiling. Cold beer was the only thing missing from the bonfire going on in the backyard. Grabbing a case in each hand, she made her way to the kitchen.

Taking the beer out of the cases and putting it into a large cooler, Santana paused for a moment and looked out the window over the counter. All of her friends were out there, dancing, singing and having a good time. The summer was almost over and it had gone better than anyone imagined it would. Hell, she had even started liking Man hands…not that she'd ever tell anyone. Brittnay had been right; they were family.

She watched Brittnay do a backbend over a sitting Mike and laughed softly. She was still in love with her best friend, but she'd given up on ever having a romantic relationship with her. It hadn't stopped hurting though.

"It will get better," she heard from behind her. She turned around to see Rachel straining to reach the _first shelf_.

Rolling her eyes, Santana pushed her out of the way and grabbed the marshmallows the smaller woman had been reaching for. "What will get better?" she asked.

"Can you grab that other bag too?" Rachel asked. She laughed. "Finn and Puck finally talked Sam into trying to see how many marshmallows he could get into his mouth. There are no marshmallows left." She watched as Santana got the other bag. "The pain," she said, after a moment. Santana stared at her, handing her the bag. "It will get better."

"What are you talking about?"

Rachel ducked her head. "Brittnay," she said simply.

Santana sucked in a breath. "Listen, Yentil," she started.

"I have two gay dads," Rachel said, interrupting her. "I've had people treat me differently because of that my whole life." She shrugged. "If you ever need anyone to talk to…you can talk to me." Before Santana could say anything, Rachel walked to the door. "You should hurry; Lauren is beating all of the boys at arm wrestling." She smiled one last time and walked out, leaving Santana alone in the kitchen, lost in her thoughts.

Rachel heard Puck's guitar as she got closer to the fire. Putting the bags on the makeshift table, she stood back up and searched for Finn. When she'd gone into the house in search of marshmallows, he had been getting beat by Lauren. Lauren was now sitting beside Puck, swaying slightly to the music he was playing.

When Puck began singing, Rachel felt Finn wrap his strong arms around her. She smiled and leaned back into his chest, both moving slightly to the music. His lips close to her ear, Finn sang along with Puck, his voice low and husky. Rachel closed her eyes and leaned into him, her heart racing from the contact.

_My head is stuck in the clouds__  
><em>_She begs me to come down__  
><em>_Says "Boy quit foolin' around"__  
><em>_I told her "I love the view from up here__  
><em>_Warm sun and wind in my ear__  
><em>_We'll watch the world from above__  
><em>_As it turns to the rhythm of love"__  
><em>_We may only have tonight__  
><em>_But till the morning sun you're mine all mine__  
><em>_Play the Music low and sway to the rhythm of love_

Everyone had gathered around the fire, several of them singing along. Rachel watched them, thinking about how perfect this summer had been. She had started high school as the girl with no friends; now she was in a relationship with the quarterback of the football team and spending the weekend at Quinn Fabray's parent's lake house. It almost seemed unreal. Kurt caught her eye and winked at her, his smile so bright it almost hurt to look at it. Blaine loved him- Kurt's life could get no better.

After the song ended Santana came out pulling a huge cooler. "I've got beer!" she yelled.

The rest of the Glee club members jumped up and ran to Santana and the cooler, Mike pushing Artie. Rachel and Finn stood where they were. "Don't you want beer?" she asked him, angling her head up so she could look at him.

"I don't want to move," he told her, smiling softly.

"Me either," she said. "Finn," she started, but he cut her off with a soft kiss.

"We'll talk about it later," he told her, his lips still hovering over hers.

"Get a room!" Artie called to them, laughing.

"They've got a room," Brittnay said, confused. Mike laughed and put his arm around her. After everyone got a beer, they settled once again around the fire.

"Rachel, come here!" Tina called to her, motioning her over to where she and Mercedes were arguing about a song from Rent.

"I'll be back," she said to Finn, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

He watched her walk away as he sat down by Puck. "It's been a whole summer," Puck complained.

"What has?" Finn asked, looking at him.

"You and Rachel. You've been together the whole summer."

"So?"

"You still can't keep your eyes off of her."

Finn smirked. "So?"

Puck shook his head. "It's different this time, right?" His eyes caught and held Finn's.

Finn nodded slowly, looking at his friend questioningly. "Why do you ask, though?"

Puck took a drink of his beer and stared at the fire. "I love you, man." Finn nodded again. He and Puck had had their problems, but they'd been best friends for years. Finn knew he could always count on Puck. Puck looked at him. "I care about Rachel." Finn's gut clenched and he opened his mouth. Puck held up his hand. "Listen, okay? I do, I care about her." His eyes found Rachel, laughing at something Tina had said. "She's special, you know?"

Finn watched his friend. "I know."

"Just…take care of her this time. That's all I ask."

Finns eyes searched Puck's face. "Where is this coming from?" Finn asked.

"Last summer you guys were together and happy. When that ended, she was destroyed." Finn flinched. "I don't want to see her go through that again."

Finn stared at the fire. "I love her. I'm always going to love her." He looked at his friend. "I'm not going to hurt her again." He stretched his legs out. "Is this going to be a problem?" he asked.

"What?"

"This thing you have for Rachel?"

Puck shook his head and smiled. "It's always been you for Rachel, Finn. No one else exists."

Finn stared at him. "That's not what I asked."

Puck shook his head. "You don't have to worry about me, Finn. I told you once that I was never going to mess with your relationships again and I meant it. You're my best friend, and she's my other best friend. I have you both." He shrugged. "I want to keep you both."

Finn watched him for a moment, and then nodded. Looking across the fire, he watched Quinn braid Britney's hair. "What about Quinn?"

Puck took another drink from his beer. "What about her?"

Finn leaned back on his arms. "I see her watching you sometimes."

Puck rolled his eyes. "She watches all of us, bro. She stares at you, at Sam, at me…" He shook his head. "That's one girl that has no clue what she wants."

"You don't have any feelings for her?" Finn asked, curious.

"Do you?" Puck countered.

Finn flinched. "I love her," he told his friend, watching the fire. "But I'll never be in love with her. Not like I am with Rachel."

Puck nodded. "She had my baby," he said. "That's something you can't just forget." He looked at Quinn. "I'll always love her for that. A relationship between us would never work, though." He shrugged and looked at Finn. "Sometimes you just know."

"Is that how it is with Lauren? You just know?"

Puck chuckled. "I don't know anything with Lauren. I don't think we're even officially dating." His eyes found the girl in question, showing Sam some submission techniques. "I like her, I respect her, I like hanging out with her. I don't love her." Puck shrugged again. "And she doesn't love me. One day one of us will move on and that will just be it."

Finn shook his head. "I don't ever want Rachel to move on. I want to be "it" for her like she's "it" for me."

Puck smiled. "I don't think you have to worry about that."

Finn frowned. "I don't know, man. She's going to New York, no matter what." He watched the fire for a moment. "What if I can't get into a school there?"

"Are you going to try?"

"Hell yes, I'm going to try," Finn said, looking up in surprise. "I'm not going to lose her without a fight."

"There are a lot of schools in New York," Puck told him, hitting him on the back. "You going to try to get a football scholarship?"

Finn grimaced. "I'm going to try to get in any way possible. Ms. Pillsbury is helping me. I'm working on scholarships for football, basketball, baseball, singing…everything."

"Not dancing," Puck said, grinning as he took another drink from his beer.

"Funny," Finn grumbled.

"I've been thinking about New York a lot, too," Puck said. "Maybe we'll all make it there."

Finn laughed. "Sam and Santana have both said something about New York too," he told his friend. "I think that trip messed with everyone's head."

"We've got a year to figure it out," Puck said.

"A year to figure what out?" Sam asked as he and Lauren came to sit by them.

"We were just talking about our plans after school," Finn told them, grabbing the marshmallow bag from Sam. "Haven't you had enough?" he asked, grinning.

"I didn't get to eat those earlier, I just got to choke on them," Sam grumbled.

"I can't decide if I want to go to college or go ahead and start my pro wrestling career," Lauren said, popping a marshmallow into her mouth.

"Wait," Sam said, holding his hand up. "You were serious about that?"

"Of course I was," Lauren said. "Vince called me himself, wanted to talk to my parents."

Finn's mouth was hanging open. "Vince McMahon?"

Lauren popped another marshmallow into her mouth. "Yup."

"You…are…my…hero," Sam breathed.

Puck rolled his eyes. "Stop drooling over my woman, Fish Lips."

Sam punched Puck in the arm and grabbed another marshmallow from Finn. "I wish I had Vince McMahon calling me."

Lauren shrugged. "I'm the best at what I do," she said simply. "I just don't know if I'm ready for that kind of life. I'd be giving up the chance to have a normal college experience."

"Where do you want to go to college?" Finn asked her, slapping Sam's hand as he reached for another marshmallow.

"Anywhere but here," she said. "I just want to get out of Lima, Ohio, and only come back for family reunions."

"It's not that bad," Sam said. The other three looked at him, eyebrows raised.

Sam blew out a breath. "Okay, it is pretty bad," he said, chuckling. "I've lived in worse though."

"Where do you guys want to go?" Lauren asked them.

"New York," all three guys answered at the same time.

Lauren laughed. "Good luck with that," she said as she stood up. "I'm going to run into the house for a minute. Don't let anything exciting happen while I'm gone," she told Puck.

"I'm on it," he told her, watching her walk away.

"Dude, she's going to be famous," Sam said after a moment. He looked at Finn. "Rachel is too. You're both going to have famous girlfriends."

Finn looked over at Rachel, who was singing something while the other girls around her laughed. "I can handle that," he told his friends.


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel made her way back to Finn and he opened his arms so she could sit between his legs, pulling her back to his chest. "Did you fix it?" he asked her.

"Of course not. Mercedes is the most stubborn, relentless, frustrating-" Rachel said.

"I'm sitting right here, Little Diva!" Mercedes called from a few spots over.

Finn laughed. "Want a marshmallow?"

"I can't believe you guys haven't eaten them all," Rachel said, eyeing Sam.

"I didn't even eat that many!" he cried, throwing his hands up.

"I should write a new song," Santana said, sitting beside Sam. "Ode to the Marshmallow Man."

"Yeah, I'm fine without another one of your songs, thanks," Sam said, making a face at her.

Santana shrugged, smiling. "The offer stands."

Lauren came back outside and sat down beside Santana. To everyone's surprise, she began singing "Stand by Me." Though they were all shocked by actually hearing Lauren sing, the whole group joined in, singing to each other.

When they were finished, they sat quietly for a while, staring at the fire. Finn broke the silence. "I'm really happy," he told them. "For the first time in my life, I feel like I can handle anything that's thrown at me." He smiled at his friends. "And it's because of you guys." He kissed the top of Rachel's head. "I'm going to go back to school with my head held high. I'm not going to let any of those jerks from the football team or the hockey team get me down."

"I'm not even a Cheerio anymore," Quinn said quietly. She shook her head. "For so long, that was all that mattered to me. I thought that if I wasn't a Cheerio, I wasn't anything." She looked around at her friends. "I know now that's not true."

"I'm going to be a Cheerio again," Santana said, matter-of-factly. "I'm good at it. I've got good grades, and I'm going to keep them up. I'm going to work hard in school and on the field. Because of those things, I'm getting out of Lima." She looked at Brittany. "But being a Cheerio isn't going to turn me back into the zombie I was. I know who I am now, and I'm not afraid of it." She looked at Rachel, who nodded slightly. "I am a lesbian," she admitted to the group. She had expected surprise and cries of shock. Instead they all just nodded and smiled. "Wait a minute; you guys already knew?"

"I think everyone knows, Satan," Puck told her.

"Shut it, Puckerman!" Santana said, glaring at him. She sat for a moment, thinking. "Okay then," she said, squaring her shoulders. "Maybe this will be easier than I thought."

Blaine put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "You have us," he told her.

"All of us," Brittany said, smiling.

"This is sort of sickening," Puck complained.

"Do you guys want to brainstorm about songs we may sing at Sectionals?" Rachel asked hopefully. Everyone threw marshmallows at her. She could feel Finn chuckling at her back. "Fine," she said, pouting.

The group sat together, talking and laughing for another hour. Finn noticed that Rachel's head kept falling forward. "I think it's time for us to turn in, guys," he told his friends. He stood up, pulling Rachel up with him. "Quinn, thank your mom again for letting us all stay here. This is awesome."

Quinn nodded and smiled at him, then went back to her conversation with Artie. Finn took Rachel's hand and they walked the path to the large lake house. "Can we talk about it now?" Rachel asked him as they started up the steps to the room they were sharing.

Finn sighed. "Let's get into the room first," he told her. Rachel nodded, thinking about the different ways she could try to convince him she was ready. _Ready_. Soooo ready. To her surprise (and utter disappointment), Finn had been the one to hold off on letting their relationship become physical. Though she was confident in their love for each other, Rachel harbored a fear that he really wasn't that attracted to her physically.

Stepping into their room, Rachel turned around to once again let Finn know what she wanted. She gasped when he caught her and spun her around so that her back was against the door. His mouth found hers, hot and insistent. His body pressed hers into the door as his tongue delved into her mouth.

Rachel felt like her body had caught fire. Every inch of her body was touching Finn. Heart racing, she ran her hands under the back of his shirt, her fingernails lightly scraping his skin. When Finn moved his leg between hers she moaned into their kiss and moved against it.

Finn put his hands under her arms and lifted her off the floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist, putting her arms around his neck and curling her fingers into his hair. Finn lifted his lips from hers and looked down into her face. Rachel's lips were parted and swollen from his kisses, her heavy lidded eyes almost closed. She smiled dreamily up at him and Finn found himself smiling back. "I love you," he whispered against her lips.

Rachel's lips lightly kissed his. "I love you too," she told him, looking into his eyes.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Rachel?" he asked, searching her face for any signs of doubt.

Rachel bit her lower lip and nodded. "What is it?" he asked, bending his head to kiss her jaw.

"Do you want me?" she asked shyly, embarrassed.

Finn's eyes quickly shot back to hers. "Of course I want you," he said, confused.

Rachel held his gaze. "Then why haven't you wanted to be with me?' she asked.

Finn closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. "I know you love me," Rachel continued, panicked. "I had thought that when I told you about the birth control you'd be excited. If you're not attracted to me, I'm sure we can work something out…"

Finn opened his eyes and stared at her. "I have never wanted anything more in my life than I want you, Rachel," he said steadily, his eyes never moving from hers. "I'm sorry if I ever let you doubt that."

"Oh," Rachel said softly.

"Oh," Finn repeated. He slowly lowered his head to hers, kissing her sweetly. Rachel sighed and smiled, pulling back to look at him.

"What do you feel when you kiss me?" Finn asked her.

Rachel thought about it for a moment. "I feel like I'm on fire," she admitted.

Finn sucked in a breath, his hands tightening on her hips. He kissed her again, deepening the kiss when she moaned. Pulling away and breathing hard, Finn smiled at her. "Do you know what I feel?"

"I know it's not fireworks," Rachel said quietly.

"You're right," he said. She lowered her head and he touched his finger to her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Fireworks are nothing compared to what I feel when I kiss you, Rachel," he whispered. "The first time I kissed you, when we were in the auditorium, I felt like my entire life was changing. Just from a kiss." He shook his head. "You terrified me and enticed me at the same time." She licked her lips. "Every time I kiss you, I feel something different. But every single time I've kissed you, love is what I've felt. The kind of love that changes you. The kind of love that can move mountains or let you fly. I feel like my heart is going to explode out of my chest and the only thing that matters to me…" he made sure she was looking at him, "the only thing that will ever matter to me, is you."

Rachel's eyes glistened with tears. "I feel the same way about you," she told him, feeling a tear escape and roll down her face.

Finn used his thumb to wipe away her tear, and then cupping her face with his hands, leaned down to kiss her. What he'd said was true; Rachel was the only person who had ever touched every part of his life. "I'm scared," he mumbled against her lips.

Rachel pulled her head back. "What?"

Finn grimaced. "I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"I'm not really sure what I'm doing, and I don't want it to be awful for you."

Rachel leaned her head back against the door and looked at him. "It's not possible," she told him. "If I'm with you, Finn, there's no way it could be awful."

Finn smiled slightly and backed away from the door, carrying her to the large bed. Rachel kissed his chin, his jaw, his neck. Her tongue lightly traced his ear and he pulled her hips to his, grinding them together. Rachel gasped and hugged him tighter.

Sitting her on the edge of the bed, Finn kneeled down between her legs, running his hands up her bare thighs. Rachel was wearing a tiny white skirt, her legs remarkably tan and smooth against it. Finn had always loved Rachel's legs. She was so small, but her legs seemed to go on forever. He bent his head to kiss the inside of her leg, above her knee. Rachel sighed and let her head drop backwards, her hands in his hair.

He trailed kisses upward, spreading her legs farther as he went. He raised his head and looked at her as his fingers touched the white panties she was wearing. Realizing how wet they were, he almost lost control. He closed his eyes for a moment, but he didn't think about the mailman; instead he thought about Rachel and how important this was for her. Opening his eyes, he slipped his fingers inside the cloth, running them along her wet center. Rachel's head shot up and she shrieked.

"Shh," Finn whispered, smiling at her. He'd known Rachel would be loud.

"Finn," she moaned, moving with his hand. His thumb found her clit and he put a finger inside her as his thumb made slow circles against her. "_Finn!_" she cried, rocking her body with his hand.

"Let go Rachel," he said lowly, watching her face.

Biting her lip, she shook her head, breathing heavily. Finn removed his hand and she whimpered. Pulling the panties down her legs, Finn looked at her. Rachel moved her hands to cover herself, but Finn moved them away. "You're beautiful," he breathed. Lowering his head, his tongue traced the path his fingers had taken. Rachel's body shuddered and she fell back on the bed, arching her back as his tongue found her clit. Her breathing became more ragged and her entire body tensed before she completely let go. Her moans echoed in the room as Finn pulled her skirt down off of her legs. He ran his tongue over her belly, lifting her shirt as he went.

Rachel lay back on the bed, her eyes closed. Finn's large hands moved up, under her shirt, and found her breasts. Rachel moaned again, sitting up. "Help me," she whispered, struggling to get the rest of her clothes off. Finn stilled her hands with his and slowly raised her shirt over her head. Reaching behind her, Finn unsnapped her bra and removed it. Rachel sat before him, completely naked.

"Rachel," he whispered, running his hands over her breasts, loving the feel of them in his hands. Rachel scooted closer to the end of the bed until every part of her body was touching him. She pulled his shirt off, laughing slightly when it got stuck on his head. He quickly unbuttoned the top button and then took it off. He unbuttoned his jeans and paused, looking at her. "Are you sure?" he asked, praying that she hadn't changed her mind.

In response, Rachel lowered his zipper and pulled his jeans down, keeping her eyes on his face. He stepped out of them, stumbling slightly before closing his eyes and taking a breath, steadying himself. Rachel was running her hands over his chest and down his stomach. He heard her gasp and opened his eyes to see that she'd finally looked below his waist.

Rachel's hands hesitated a moment before lightly touching him. Finn clenched his jaw, wanting nothing more than to throw her back on the bed and bury himself in her. When her thumb ran across his tip, he grabbed both of her hands and held them. "Rach, I can't…I can't take much more of that," he told her.

Rachel smiled when she realized exactly how much she affected Finn. Scooting back on the bed, she motioned for him to join her. Finn did, situating himself between her legs. He lowered his head and kissed her, groaning when she moved her mouth to his neck and chest. Putting his hand between them, his thumb moved in the same circles it had earlier. Rachel stopped kissing him and laid back on the bed, clutching his shoulders with her hands, digging her fingernails into his skin.

Finn rubbed himself against her, lubricating himself in her wetness. Rachel kept moving her hips, unsure of what she was searching for. A slow burn had started again in the pit of her stomach and she knew that she was ready. "Now, Finn, please," she pleaded.

Finn leaned down and kissed her gently, his tip stretching her. "I'm sorry, Rachel," he whispered, plunging into her. Rachel gasped and tensed, surprised at the pain. Finn held completely still, terrified to move. His entire body shook with need, but he wouldn't move until she let him know it was okay.

Rachel rose up and kissed him tenderly, her lips barely brushing his. Finn's body jerked in reaction, causing them both to moan. "I'm ready," she told him softly.

Finn moved out of her slowly, his thumb once again driving her wild. With each thrust, the feel of her squeezing him was almost too much for him to take. Looking down at Rachel's face, Finn's chest tightened. He had never loved anyone as much as he loved her. Nothing had ever felt so right.

Rachel opened her eyes and gasped, so close to the edge. She moved up to meet each thrust, feeling like she was going to explode. She looked into Finn's eyes and pulled his head down to hers, kissing him deeply. Finn nipped at her bottom lip and it was enough. Rachel screamed as waves of heat rolled through her body, the entire world crashing around her.

The feel of Rachel tightening around him sent Finn over the edge too. He pumped into her a few more times, dropping his head down beside hers. He rested on his elbows, careful to keep his weight off of her.

Rachel turned her head to face the wall, tears falling freely down her face. "Rach?' he said quietly. "Rachel, look at me."

Rachel rolled her head over and looked at Finn, surprised to find that he had tears in his eyes as well. "I love you," she told him, brushing her lips across his.

"I love you too," he told her, smiling crookedly. "So much."

Rachel wrapped her arms around him and turned to her side when he moved to his. Finn pulled the blanket over them, making sure Rachel was covered. He then brushed the hair from Rachel's face, kissing her on the forehead. They fell asleep holding each other.


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel woke up to the sound of Finn's snores. Smiling, she moved closer to him, loving the warmth of his body. "Mmm," he mumbled. "Rachel."

Rachel laughed, placing a kiss on his chest. Her entire body was sore, but she'd never felt more content. Finn's hand ran up her back, tickling her. "I need a shower," he told her, hugging her tightly.

"Me too," she said. "Maybe we could take one together?"

Finn leaned his head back and looked at her. "Seriously?" he croaked.

"Why not?" she said.

A huge smile broke across his face. "Why not indeed," he said.

Getting out of bed, they both grabbed their clothes and went to the connecting bathroom. Sharing the sink, they brushed their teeth, watching each other through the mirror and making faces.

Finn had trouble fitting into showers, but when Rachel was added into the mix, everything seemed to work out fine. His skin tingled every time she touched him and he couldn't hide how she affected him. Rachel washed his body, studying every inch of him. He would be embarrassed to know how beautiful she thought he was. Everything about Finn was perfect to Rachel.

Finn was thinking the same thing about her. The smell of her shampoo, the way her hair fell around her face when it was wet, her little body…_God_, her little body. Finn longed to lift her up and bury himself in her again. He needed to think about the mailman. The mailman. The mailman…Shit, it wasn't working. He knew Rachel would be sore from last night, so he turned his back to her, desperately trying to think of anything that would calm him down.

"Finn?" she asked, running her hands over his back. "What's wrong?"

"I want you," he told her, his skin burning where she touched.

Her lips touched his back and he jumped. "I want you too," she said.

"But you're sore," he said, putting his head against the shower wall.

Rachel slipped around him, her body pressed against his. "I'm not that sore," she told him.

Finn looked down into her smiling face, laughing. "You're always surprising me," he said, lifting her up so she could wrap those amazing legs around him.

"I have to keep you interested," she said, kissing his jaw.

Finn pulled back and looked down at her. "You don't have to worry about that," he told her. "You're the only thing I think about."

Rachel kissed him, slipping her tongue into his mouth. Groaning, Finn clumsily turned off the water and carried Rachel out of the shower, making their way to the bed. He dropped her onto it, laughing as she bounced. Joining her on the bed, Finn laid beside her. Rachel threw her leg over his body, pulling him closer to her. Finn kissed her, his hands exploring her body.

Santana and Brittany stood outside the door, listening quietly. "Are you guys kidding me?" Kurt said, walking down the hall and meeting them. "Can they not have any privacy?"

Properly chastised, the girls linked fingers and walked on down the hall, giggling. Kurt stopped at the door for a second, listening. With a smile on his face, he made his way on into the kitchen.

Finn rolled on top of Rachel, staring down at her face. He still couldn't believe she was his. Sliding into her, he kissed her deeply, moaning when she met each of his thrusts. Moving together faster and faster, Rachel whimpered, straining to find release. When Finn touched her clit he caught her mouth in a kiss and swallowed her scream as she exploded. His body tightened as he came with her, the world spinning around him.

"Is it like this for everyone?" Rachel asked after a moment, trying to catch her breath.

"I don't think so," he told her. "This is special."

Rachel smiled and kissed him. They laid there for a few minutes, talking about random things. Both jumped when Artie started beating on the door. "Are you guys coming for breakfast?" he called.

"Yeah!" Finn yelled after Rachel nodded.

"I think I need another shower," Rachel said, sighing.

"Me too," Finn agreed.

"Together again?" she asked, smiling.

"Always, if you'll let me," Finn said, smiling back at her.

In the kitchen, Quinn was stirring eggs. "What'd they say, Artie?" she asked her friend as he rolled into the kitchen.

"Finn said they're coming," Artie said, rolling his eyes when Brittany and Santana started laughing. "Girls, please."

Santana and Brittany worked together cutting up fruit while Quinn made the eggs. Kurt toasted bagels and bread, while Artie got jellies and butter and drinks out of the refrigerator. Putting all of the items on the counter, Artie watched his friends for a moment. "I can't believe this is happening," he said quietly. The others stopped to look at him. "I mean, look at us. A year ago, none of us would have ever imagined sharing a kitchen together, much less enjoying it."

"Who says I'm enjoying it?' Santana said, turning back to her fruit.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Santana."

Santana turned around and winked at Artie. Shaking his head, he rolled over to Kurt. "Where's Blaine?"

"He's in the gym with the other guys."

"You didn't want to go with him?"

"And get hot and sweaty before I even eat breakfast? No thank you," Kurt said primly, dropping four more pieces of toast into the toaster.

"They totally have clean up," Brittany said, studying a banana to figure out the best way to open it.

"Totally," Quinn, Santana and Kurt said at the same time.

"And we're on tonight," Mercedes said as she and Tina entered the room.

"Rachel and Finn made it down yet?" Tina asked, wagging her eyebrows.

"They have not," Artie said, wagging his eyebrows back at her.

"Scandalous," Mercedes said, smiling widely.

Laruen walked blurry eyed through the kitchen toward the dining room, half heartedly waving at them as she passed. Quinn and Artie looked at each other and burst out laughing.

Mercedes and Tina carried the bacon and sausage that the girls had already cooked into the dining room, while Artie took the condiments and drinks he'd gathered. "This place is amazing, Quinn," Kurt told her, gathering up all the food he'd toasted.

Quinn sighed. "Yeah, my family has a lot of pretty things," she said sadly. The lake house was definitely "pretty." It had ten bedrooms- each with their own bathroom, a large kitchen, a large dining room, a huge living room/recreation area, a game room, a gym, an indoor pool…it was amazing. Quinn usually hated it.

"How are things going?" Kurt asked, not looking at her.

Quinn shrugged. "I honestly don't know," she told him. "I don't even understand how I feel."

Kurt stopped beside her on his way to the dining room. "If you need to talk, just let me know."

Quinn smiled at him, blinking back tears. "Thank you, Kurt."

She got back to the eggs, thinking about what she had told Kurt. Quinn really didn't know how she felt; she was just numb. "Hey," she heard from behind her and she turned to find Finn standing in the kitchen.

"Hey," she said softly, smiling. "Where's Rachel?"

"She's still getting dressed. She told me to come on down and see if I could help."

"Well, I think we pretty much have everything together," she told him.

Finn smiled. "This is really nice, Q. I'm glad we can still be friends."

Quinn nodded. When they'd gotten back from Nationals, Finn had found Quinn and asked her to sit down and talk to him. He'd told her that he was sorry for how they'd broken up…and that they'd gotten back together in the first place. Quinn had agreed; she loved Finn, but she wanted to be with him for the wrong reasons. Finn was solid and safe, two things Quinn was missing in her life. She'd asked him about Rachel, and he'd told her that Rachel had finally decided to give him another chance. He was so happy about it Quinn couldn't even really be upset.

Things had started out a bit uncomfortable for all three of them, but over the summer Quinn had grown to enjoy spending time with them. Everyone in the club had breathed a sigh of relief when Quinn accepted the couple. They were tired of the drama.

Finn went into the dining room to see if anyone needed help setting up. Quinn finally finished the eggs. (She was only doing scrambled; if they didn't like it, tough.) She put them in the bowl and carried them to the dining room table, then turned to find the other guys in the gym.

The music was pumping so loud, Quinn was certain they'd all be deaf. Opening the door, she stood against it for a moment watching the guys work. Mike was jumping rope so fast Quinn couldn't even see it. Puck was lifting weights (with no spotter, of course; that wouldn't be "badass" enough). Blaine was running on the treadmill and Quinn had to admit, taking in his shirtless form, that the man was good looking. Sam was at the punching bag, also shirtless, looking determined. Quinn felt her heart begin to race a little as she watched him. She had really hurt him, and it hurt her to know that he would never look at her the same again.

Quinn straightened. She'd already depressed herself again. "Boys!" she yelled over the music, but none of them heard her. "BOYS!" Rolling her eyes, she flicked the lights a couple of times. They still didn't notice. Quinn finally walked over to the IPod dock and turned the music off. All four boys stopped what they were doing and looked at her. "Food's ready," she told them, turning around to leave the room.

"Fooooooood," she heard Mike say, and she laughed as she walked down the hallway.

Rachel was coming down the steps and Quinn stopped at the bottom to wait for her. "Hey," she told the brunette, smiling. "How was your night?"

Rachel smiled. "It was _amazing_," she said softly. She looked panicked for a moment. "Is it okay for me to say that? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Quinn laughed. "It's okay, Rachel. I'm glad it was amazing."

They walked into the dining room together, and everyone looked up at them. Finn's entire face lit up as he saw Rachel, and she walked straight over to him, sitting in his lap and burying her face in his shoulder. "Get it out of the way," she said, her voice muffled from his shirt.

"Girl, you hit notes I didn't even know were humanly possible," Santana said.

"Preach," Artie said, holding his hand up in the air.

"I thought someone was hurting you," Brittany said.

"I had to pull Brittany back," Quinn said, laughing. "She was going to go beat the crap out of whoever it was."

"I figured Berry would need Artie's wheelchair this morning," Lauren said, putting butter on her toast. "At the very least, crutches." Rachel groaned.

"I did not get a _wink _of sleep last night," Puck said, coming into the room. "Someone was killing a cat down the hall from me."

Brittany looked startled. "It wasn't Lord Tubbington, was it?" Santana shook her head and patted Brittany on the arm. The rest of the guys came in.

"Did y'all hear that sweet music Finn and Rachel were making last night?" Mercedes asked them.

"I slept with my head under my pillow," Sam said, reaching for the orange juice.

"I slept with my head under Tina," Mike said, laughing. Tina threw her napkin at him.

"Well, I'm glad Rachel finally got a little lovin'," Mercedes said. "Maybe she'll loosen up a little."

Puck smirked and opened his mouth to say something but Finn shot him a warning glare and he closed it, laughing. Blaine put his head down to hide his amusement, but his whole body was shaking.

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Finn said. The group nodded, smiling. Rachel raised her head and looked at him and he winked at her. She faced the group and stood up, moving to the chair next to Finn.

"Hey, Berry," Puck started. Kurt elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow!" he cried, rubbing them and glaring at Kurt. "Never mind," he said, glancing at Rachel.

The group laughed while they ate, making plans for the day. They all finally decided to take the boat out, even though Tina was afraid she'd get sea sick. No one fought, no one cried, and no one flirted with someone that didn't belong to them. It was the dawn of a new glee club era. Maybe.


	4. Chapter 4

Sam reached down into the cooler and grabbed a bottle of water. "Let me know when you want me to take over," he told Finn, who was driving the boat.

Finn nodded. He watched Sam for a moment. "So…" he said, drawing it out. Sam looked at him, cocking his eyebrow. "What's going on with you and Mercedes?"

Sam's eyes widened and he looked around to see if anyone else was listening. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Finn smirked. "Dude, you know what I'm talking about. I know what it looks like when a guy is trying to hide his feelings for a girl." He glanced at Rachel. "Trust me."

Sam moved from one foot to another, agitated. "It's not like that," he told Finn. Finn just watched him. Sam sighed. "I like her, okay?"

"I guessed that. I just can't figure out why you're hiding it."

"I don't get it either," Sam muttered. "Mercedes just asked if we could keep it quiet for a while."

Finn frowned. He really didn't understand. "I'm not going to say anything," he told Sam. "Rachel knows too, though. We were watching you two together."

"Do you think she'll say anything?"

Finn shrugged. "She won't say anything to anyone but Mercedes or you."

Sam looked over to where the girls were. Quinn, Santana and Brittany were lying out in the sun. The rest of the girls were standing around the front of the boat, laughing as the water sprayed them. "Have you ever noticed how hot the glee club girls are?" Sam said, almost to himself. "I know that we get teased and slushied a lot, but we're all good looking people."

Finn laughed, shading his eyes and checking out the girls. Sam had a point. The three former Cheerios were all gorgeous. Tina and Mercedes were both beautiful in their own way. Lauren…well, Puck digs her. And Rachel. Finn watched her lean forward over the boat railing, putting her hand out to catch some water. Rachel had it all. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen and her body did crazy things to his brain.

"Wipe the drool off of your mouth," Sam joked. "I'll take the wheel. Go make out with your girlfriend."

Finn smiled at Sam. "Thanks, man." He walked down the front of the boat and wrapped his arms around Rachel, who squealed. She turned around and he kissed her, causing the other girls to groan. "Sorry," he told them, smiling.

"Time to fish," Puck said, coming out from the bottom of the boat loaded down with fishing poles. Mike followed him carrying even more. Blaine was carrying a couple of tackle boxes and Kurt followed them, making a face and carrying a large cooler.

"I don't want to-" Santana started, but Puck interrupted her.

"Eh, eh, eh," he said, pointing some poles at her. "We're fishing. We're ALL fishing."

"I like to fish," Brittany said, getting up.

"Good woman," Puck said, nodding to her. "Let's get to the other side of the boat. Hey, Mercedes, go tell Fish Lips to drop anchor."

"Don't you be making fun of that boy," Mercedes said, hands on her hips.

Puck looked at her for a moment, and then shrugged. "Whatever," he said. Finn and Rachel looked at each other knowingly.

They all set up their fishing lines, with Puck and Sam having to explain what to do, how to do it and why to do it to most of the girls, plus Kurt. Everyone was silent for a few minutes as they waited to get a bite. "This is boring," Santana complained.

"You were lying on a towel for an hour," Quinn pointed out. "At least we have something to watch now."

Santana blew out a breath and watched her bobber. Puck glared at the water, as if he were daring a fish to bite his lure. Sam leaned back and closed his eyes, letting the summer sun warm his face. Artie rolled forward and backward slightly, humming to himself.

Rachel leaned her head onto Finn's shoulder, looking out at the water. Ohio was a beautiful state. Part of her would really miss it when she left. She looked at Finn. The longer they dated, the less sure she was that she could ever live without him. When she was dating Finn, life was more exciting. Everything made sense. She needed him.

Rachel looked back out at her bobber and noticed it was moving. "Oh my gosh, I think I've got a bite!" she whispered loudly. The bobber disappeared into the water. "I do!" she cried.

Everyone jumped up, yelling at her to reel it in. Rachel started reeling it in but it was stronger than she was. "Finn! Finn, help me!"

Finn stepped behind her and started reeling, while she held on to the pole. "Get it, get it!" Puck was yelling, excited.

Pulling together while Finn worked the reel, the couple finally got the fish up out of the water. Sam had the net out and caught it, bringing it onto the boat. "We got it!" he yelled, jumping up and down like a kid. It was a large catfish, at least 15 pounds. Everyone danced around and high fived each other.

"You people are ridiculous," Santana said, rolling her eyes. "Shit!" she screamed. "I've got a bite! I've got a bite!" Everyone moved around her and she reeled it in, Puck moving in to help her when she had trouble. Sam put the net out to catch this fish, too.

"Okay," Santana said, breathing hard. "This could be fun."

It was then decided that everyone would work in teams to see which team could catch the most fish. Quinn and Santana ended up together. "Looks like it's you and me," Quinn said, sitting beside the other girl.

"You've got to pull up the next one," Santana told her. "It's harder than it looks."

Quinn looked around, watching their friend's pair up and make plans. "Out of the entire glee club, we're the only two that aren't dating someone else in the club."

"Incestuous fuckers," Santana mumbled. "Sam and Mercedes haven't said that they're dating," she pointed out.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Not that that matters."

Santana shrugged, eyeing the couple. "They're cute together, I guess. He seems to like ballsy women."

"I wasn't very ballsy when I was with him," Quinn said, watching Sam. "I was just…Quinn."

Santana's mouth dropped open. "You still have a thing for Trouty Mouth?"

Quinn quickly shook her head. "No!" she said loudly. The couples around them turned to look at her. "No," she said quietly after everyone had turned away.

"You so do," Santana said, surprised.

Quinn shot her a dirty look. "It's none of your business."

Santana nodded. "Of course it's not. Has that ever stopped me before?" She smiled widely. "If you care so much about him, why'd you cheat on him with the Boy Wonder?"

Quinn shrugged. "I don't know why I do anything," she muttered.

Santana looked out at the water. "We're messed up, you know that?"

Quinn laughed. "I was just thinking that." She watched Sam and Mercedes for a moment. "Why do you think they're not telling us about dating?"

"Probably cause we'll give them shit. We give everyone shit." Santana shrugged. "If you're in a happy relationship, you deserve to get shit."

"Bitter, much?" Quinn asked, rolling her eyes.

"Hell yes, I'm bitter," Santana said, watching Brittany and Artie talking.

Quinn motioned to the couple with her head. "Are they back together?"

"We don't talk about it," Santana said, making a face.

Quinn watched her friend. "Must be hard."

Santana nodded toward Sam and Mercedes. "Tell me about it."

They sat in silence. "Even if he wasn't with Mercedes…I couldn't talk to him. Not about us. I could never expect him to forgive me for being so stupid."

"Finn forgave you."

They looked at Finn and Rachel; Rachel was sitting in his lap and they were laughing quietly with each other. Anyone could see that the couple was deeply in love. "They're different now. Better. I guess dating me again is what it took for him to realize that Rachel is the girl for him."

"I hate them," Santana said.

"No you don't," Quinn said, looking at her. "I can't even hate them."

Santana sighed. "Can we stop talking about our feelings? I think I'm going to throw up."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "You and Puck are different versions of the same person."

"I'm the better version," Santana said smugly.

Lauren and Puck were arguing over something and the girls watched them. "I can't believe how much he's changed," Quinn finally said.

"Yeah," Santana said softly. "He's almost human now."

"Lauren is a bitch," Quinn said. "I like her."

Santana laughed. "You like everyone now. When did you turn into such a freaking saint?"

Quinn's thought quickly flashed to her baby girl and pain shot through her chest. "I'm going to go get us something to drink," she said, standing up.

"Hey, Q, I didn't mean anything by it," Santana said, sensing the other girls upset.

Quinn forced a smile. "No, it's fine, I'm just thirsty." She walked away, just needing to be alone for a minute.

When she got below deck she put her head against the door and took a couple of deep breaths, horrified to realize that she was crying. "Quinn?' she heard behind her.

Quickly wiping her face, Quinn walked to the refrigerator. Without turning around she said "Yeah?"

Sam walked into the room. "Are you okay?" He'd watched her walk away from Santana, clearly upset. "Whatever Satan said…you know she probably didn't mean it."

"She didn't say anything, Sam," Quinn said, still not looking at him.

Sam touched her shoulder. "You're obviously upset about something," he said lowly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Quinn said, undone by his kindness. Besides Kurt, no one had ever really asked her if she needed to talk. "I've been such a horrible person," she blurted out, putting her hand over her mouth and turning around to stare at Sam in horror. Tears ran freely down her face.

"Quinn," Sam said, pulling her close for a hug. "You're not a horrible person." He told her, rubbing her back.

It felt so good to bury her face in Sam's strong shoulder and just cry. He held her, whispering soothing words to her. She'd been holding her tears in for too long; the dam had finally broken. She wasn't strong. She couldn't forget what happened to her last year. All she needed was for someone to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay and that she'd made the right decision. She needed that so desperately.

Sam wasn't sure what Quinn was saying in between sobs, but he was sure he heard the words "baby girl" and "gave her away" and "monster." Sam pushed Quinn back a little, forcing her to look at him. "Quinn," he said. "Quinn, listen to me."

Quinn wiped her face again and looked up at Sam, unable to stop crying. "What?"

"You're not a monster. You did the best thing you could do. Your daughter is going to have a wonderful life because of how selfless you were."

Quinn stared at him, the tears slowing. "Do you really think so? Do you think Shelby will protect her from people like me?"

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked her, brushing hair off of her face.

"I've been awful to so many people," she said, closing her eyes. "None of them deserved it."

"We all do stupid things," he told her. "It doesn't make us monsters."

Quinn sighed. "Sam, for you of all people to say that…" she shook her head. "You didn't deserve what I did to you. I'm sorrier than you could ever know."

Sam shrugged. "Like I said, we all do stupid things."

Quinn dropped her head onto Sam's chest again, taking a deep breath. She really missed Sam, though she'd never say it out loud. Sam was steady…probably steadier than Finn. How she hadn't seen that while they were dating, she didn't know. Watching him with his little brother and sister helped her realized how amazing Sam really was.

"Everything okay in here?" Mercedes asked, standing in the doorway.

Quinn jumped away from Sam. "Mercedes!" she said, worried that the girl would think she was making a move on Sam. "It's nothing, I was just upset and Sam was being a good friend-" she would have continued rambling, but Mercedes cut her off.

"It's okay, white girl, chill out." She shook her head and looked at Sam. "I caught a fish," she said, breaking out into a huge smile. "And I didn't even need help pulling it in. It was _huge_!" She winked. "We've got this thing in the bag." She walked out of the room and back to the top of the boat.

"I am so sorry," Quinn said, wiping the last of her tears off with the side of her hand. "I should have never put you in such a position."

Sam chuckled. "Quinn, I followed you down here. I put me in this position, not you."

"Won't Mercedes think that I might be trying to steal you away?"

Sam ran his hand through his hair. "Is it seriously that obvious?"

Quinn smiled slightly. "Yeah."

"Mercedes knows that there's nothing going on between you and me," Sam told her. The matter of fact way he said it caused Quinn to flinch slightly.

"Good," she said, smiling weakly. "Go on back up there. I'll be back in a minute."

"You sure?" Sam asked.

Quinn nodded, releasing a long breath when he left the room. Those few moments he'd held her had felt way too good. She groaned and sat down on the floor. Her life was so messed up.


	5. Chapter 5

It had ended up being a perfect day on the lake. This whole weekend had been perfect so far, and it was only Saturday night. Since they hadn't really planned anything, they decided to drive into the next town and hit up a club. Rachel had kicked Finn out of the room so she could get ready; every time he looked at her she wanted to pull his clothes off. They'd never leave.

Rachel bit her lip as she looked at the black dress she'd brought. Santana, of all people, had helped her pick it out. Rachel knew she looked good in it…but it was so daring. Sure, she wore short skirts, but this dress was short on material _everywhere_.

A knock at the door startled her and she jumped when Santana came in. "You're wearing it," Santana said, walking toward her.

"I don't know, Santana," Rachel said. "What if it's too much?" She swallowed. "Or too little?"

"There is no such thing as too little," Santana said, rolling her eyes. "Hurry up and get it on so I can fix your hair."

Rachel watched the other woman plug in the curler she'd brought in. "Why are you helping me?" she asked uncertainly.

Santana chuckled. "I like to watch Finn open and close his mouth like a fish." She stared at Rachel for a second, a shocked look on her face. "Oh. My. Gosh. He and Sam could be related!"

Rachel laughed, pulling off Finn's shirt. She was wearing the black lacy underwear she'd bought just for this weekend. "Rachel!" Santana yelled.

"What?" Rachel cried, looking around to see what had happened.

Santana actually blushed. "Sorry. I'm just, uh, going to turn around."

Rachel gasped. "Oh, Santana, I'm sorry. I didn't even think about it."

"I didn't either," Santana admitted, clearing her throat. "Who knew what you were hiding under those sweaters?"

"I was wearing a bathing suit all day," Rachel pointed out.

"I think it's the lace."

Rachel pulled the dress over her head, struggling a little to get it worked down her body. It fit like a second skin. "Well this is awkward," she said after she got it on.

Santana turned around and checked out the dress. Rachel was right; it was too much _and _too little. The hobbit looked HOT. Before she could really think about it, Santana grabbed Rachel and pulled her closer, kissing her. Rachel's mouth opened in shock and Santana deepened the kiss.

"Hell fucking YES!" Puck cried from behind them, shutting the door. "I'm never leaving this room."

Santana pulled away from Rachel, grinning at the shell shocked look on Rachel's face. "Sorry. I couldn't seem to help it."

Rachel touched her hand to her lips. "I…you…what?"

"Does she look good or what?" Santana asked Puck.

"If she looked any better I wouldn't be able to walk," Puck told her.

Santana laughed and hit him on the shoulder. Puck walked closer to Rachel and she raised her hand to ward him off. He laughed and moved closer. "Relax Berry, I'm not going to kiss you." He reached toward her and pulled the tag off of the dress. "You're not taking this one back."

"I…she…what?" Rachel said, still a bit dazed.

"Was it good for you?" Puck asked, winking.

Rachel took a deep breath. "Okay," she said firmly. "I'm not sure what just happened, but Santana I am in a committed relationship with Finn. I can't just be kissing others, regardless of their sex." Santana shrugged, but nodded in agreement. "And Noah, why are you in here?"

"I sensed a disturbance in the force," he told her, wagging his eyebrows.

"Noah," she said again, annoyed.

Puck held up his hands. "To tell you guys that we're all ready, just waiting on you."

"How is everyone else already ready?" Rachel fretted.

"Don't worry about it," Santana said. "They'll wait."

"I hate for them to do that," Rachel said, frowning.

"Then let's get to work," Santana said, putting her hands on the tiny woman's shoulders and steering her toward the mirror. "Tell them we'll be right down," she told Puck over her shoulder.

"I can't stay?" Puck asked, pretending to pout. Santana glared at him and he threw his hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay, I'm going," he told the women, walking out of the room. Shutting the door behind him, he leaned back against it, letting out a long breath. While he had hoped to see a little skin by barging into the room, he'd gotten way more than he'd bargained for. Watching Santana and Rachel kiss had to be one of the hottest things he'd ever seen in his life. When Rachel had pulled back and he'd seen what she was wearing (or not wearing, in this case), he'd almost lost it.

Puck had told Finn the truth; he was never going to make another play for Rachel. His friends were in love with each other and he honestly believed that even though they were only in high school, "Finchel" would make it last for the rest of their lives. Having said that, he knew that he wanted Rachel. He had always wanted her. She drove him crazy faster than any woman ever had, but he actually liked that about her. And the fact that he didn't sit and stare at her all day long, every single day, was a testament to how strong his will actually was.

Arranging his pants, he walked down the hallway, wondering if he was going to tell the other guys about what he'd just seen. Grinning, he figured he shouldn't be the only one in pain from this little episode.

"They on their way?" Sam asked Puck when he walked back to the den. Finn, Mike and Artie were battling it out on the Xbox, playing some game Puck had never heard of. The girls had all gone into the downstairs bathroom to re-prissy-fy themselves.

"Pause the game, boys, I've got a story to tell you," Puck said, sitting down on the table Quinn had expressly forbidden him to sit on.

"Can't, man," Finn told him, staring at the game. "These punks are going down."

Puck cocked his eyebrow. "Not even for a tale of hot female on female bonding?"

All three gamers turned to stare at him, completely forgetting the game. "Wait, what?" Finn asked, mouth hanging open.

Puck rubbed his hands together. "I went up to get Satan and Berry, right? Well, I didn't knock on the door before going in." Finn punched him in the shoulder. "Chill, man, listen," he said, rubbing it. "Santana was kissing Rachel. She had her hand wrapped in Rachel's hair and everything. Hottest fucking thing I've ever seen in my life."

The guys stared. Blaine coughed, shifting in his seat. "Tongue?" he asked, earning a rib poke from Kurt.

"Tongue," Puck confirmed, looking at the guys.

Finn ran his hand through his hair and looked at his friends. "Is this something I should be worried about?"

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked him.

"Well, my girlfriend was kissing someone else." He cleared his throat. "But it was Santana," he said, his voice cracking slightly. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Rachel told Santana that she's in a "committed relationship,"" Puck told Finn, using his fingers as air quotes. "It's not going to happen again." His friends all groaned. "That's what I thought, too."

"Were they…did they have clothes on?" Artie asked, swallowing hard.

Puck groaned. "Wait 'til you see what Berry's wearing. It's better than her being naked."

Finn would have chastised his friends, but he was too busy thinking about what Rachel could be wearing and how hot it would have been to see her and Santana together. He's a guy, alright? He can't help it. "When will they be down?" he asked Puck.

Puck shrugged. "Soon."

All the guys shifted in their seats uncomfortably, each unable to think about anything but the two girls still upstairs. Finally, Finn stood up. "I'm going up there."

"I'll come too," Sam said, standing up quickly. "Just in case something happens or something." Finn stared at him. "Safety in numbers?" he said sheepishly.

"I think I left something up there anyway," Mike told them. "I'll just go up with you guys and grab it."

"I see where this is going and it's bull. I can't get up the steps, dammit!" Artie pounded the arms of his wheelchair in frustration. "I want to see too!"

"I can carry you, man," Puck told him. He smiled wickedly at Finn. "Which means I guess I've got to go back up too."

Finn opened his mouth to say something when Santana and Rachel appeared at the top of the stairs. His heart dropped to his stomach. She didn't even look real… "Rachel," he breathed.

Rachel smiled nervously, her eyes drinking Finn in. He was wearing a black button up shirt and all Rachel wanted to do was go back to their room and take it off, one button at a time. She realized that no one had said anything, and she cleared her throat. "Finn?"

Finn was up the steps before he realized it, looking down at her. He put his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her closer, lowering his head until their lips touched. "You look amazing," he said, touching her hair. It was hanging in loose waves down her back and was incredibly soft.

Rachel smiled up at him. "You look amazing too."

Santana sighed loudly, stomping down the stairs. "Can we please go now?" she asked. She winked at Puck, pleased at Finn's reaction to Rachel. Her work here was done. She noticed that all of the guys were staring at her. "For fucks sake, Puck, did you have to tell them?" she said, annoyed.

Puck just nodded, smiling. "Had to."

Mercedes came into the room. "It's time to load up."

"Are we even sure we can get into this club?" Artie asked, rolling down the hallway, shooting glances at Santana.

"Quinn said that it's a club for teenagers too, so it shouldn't be a problem," Mercedes told him.

"Stop looking at me Artie," Santana warned him.

"I can't…help…it," he mumbled. Artie was a bit of a mess. Brittany had made it clear that they were only friends. As much as that hurt, it was probably for the best. They'd had a long talk about their relationship; Brittany wanted to be free and Artie…well, Artie wasn't completely over Tina. He glanced at her now, kissing Mike. It didn't hurt as much now, but it still hurt. If Mike wasn't such a good friend, Artie would have tried anything to get Tina back.

"Finn, Rachel, come _on_!" Quinn called as they gathered up their things. "What are they doing?"

"He's probably trying to erase the taste of Santana from her lips," Sam said, winking at Puck.

"Shut it," Santana said as she walked past them.

Quinn looked surprised. "I don't even want to know."

On the steps, Finn lifted his lips from Rachel's. "Do we really have to go?" he whispered.

Rachel nodded, smiling. "We have to. We promised them."

Finn sighed and started walking down the steps, holding her hand. When he got three steps down, she stopped him by pulling on his hand. Walking one step down to stand closer to him, Rachel looked right into his eyes. "I love you," she said.

Finn wrapped his arms around her, kissing her again. "I love you too," he said. Instead of putting her down, he lifted her legs and carried her down the steps and toward their friends. Rachel shrieked, laughing.

"It's about time," Puck said when they came through the door.

"Sorry," Rachel said, blushing. Finn put her down and grabbed his keys.

"Okay, just going over the rules," Quinn said, addressing the group. "No one drinks." Puck groaned and Quinn pointed at him. "I'm serious. We don't know anyone around here and it's just not a good idea. Second rule, we all leave at the same time. That way we know for sure we have everyone. And lastly, no hooking up with random people. We can dance, we can have a good time…but this is a "Glee Club" weekend and we're not adding guests. Got it?" Everyone nodded. "Alright. Let's ride."


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't take it. I'm dying over here," Artie moaned to Sam.

"What's the problem?" Sam asked, taking a drink of his coke.

Artie motioned toward the dance floor where Rachel, Santana, Brittany and Tina were all dancing together. "I think they're trying to kill me."

Sam watched the girls dance, nodding. "You and every other guy here." He sat down beside his friend. "I can't believe Finn let Rachel out of the lake house dressed like that."

Artie made a noise of agreement. "Where's Mercedes?"

Sam shrugged. "She and Mike are having some sort of pride discussion. He's Asian and proud, she's black and proud…" He shrugged again. "I left them to it." He looked around the dance floor, trying to spot all of his friends. Kurt and Blaine were still sitting in the booth they'd started out in.

"Who are you looking for?" Artie asked.

"Have you seen Quinn?" Sam asked him. Seeing the face Artie made, Sam became defensive. "What? I was just wondering."

Artie shook his head but didn't say anything. He was having a good time; his friends had taken him out on the floor and he'd danced with them. For the first time since his accident, Artie hadn't felt left out in a situation like this. It felt good.

"I ordered a pizza," Lauren said, coming to sit beside them. She fanned herself. "It's too hot for this sort of thing."

"Where's Puck?" Artie asked her.

Lauren waved her hand in the direction of the dance floor. "Dancing with some chick."

Sam and Artie looked at each other. "Are you…okay with that?"

Lauren chuckled. "I'm fine with it. At this point, Puck is more of my best friend/brother than he ever was my boyfriend." She slapped her thighs, causing both men to jump. "I need someone that can handle all of this. Puck can't."

"I'm…scared," Artie said, looking at Lauren.

Lauren nodded at him, and then went to pick up her pizza. Wide eyed, Artie looked at Sam. Sam laughed. "I'm not man enough, I can tell you that."

"Me either, man," Artie said, watching Lauren from a distance. "She terrifies me." He looked back at the dance floor. "Killing me," he groaned, watching Rachel and Tina dance.

"What are they doing?" Finn asked as he came to sit beside Sam. He rubbed his face with his hand. "She's killing me."

Sam laughed at his friends, his eyes still searching for Quinn. "You guys should just go dance with them," Sam told them.

"Can't dance," they said in unison, both still watching the girls.

"You've both been dancing," Sam pointed out.

Finn grimaced. "I don't know if you could call that dancing."

"Rachel seemed to be enjoying it."

Finn smiled. "Did she? I was afraid I'd embarrass her."

The song ended and the girls separated. Walking off of the floor, a man stopped Rachel and asked her if she wanted to dance. She shook her head and looked at Finn. He smiled and waved, signaling that she should dance with him. Rachel nodded to the guy and they stayed on the dance floor. Jason Derulo's "In My Head" started playing as Finn watched them.

_Everybody's looking for love. Oh. Oh.__  
><em>_Ain't that the reason you're at this club. Oh. Oh.__  
><em>_You ain't gonna find a dance with him. No. Oh.__  
><em>_Got a better solution for you girl. Oh. Oh.___

_Just leave with me now. Say the word and we'll go.__  
><em>_I'll be your teacher. I'll show you the ropes.__  
><em>_You'll see a side of love you've never known.__  
><em>_I can see it going down, going down.___

_In my head, I see you all over me.__  
><em>_In my head, you fulfill my fantasy.__  
><em>_You'll be screaming no.__  
><em>_In my head, it's going down.__  
><em>_In my head, it's going down. __  
><em>_In my head. Yeah. In my head. Oh yeah._

He couldn't take his eyes off of the way her long, tanned legs moved. His hands itched to grab them and wrap them around his waist. He could see the sheen of sweat covering her body and all he could think about was licking it off. He was walking toward the couple before he realized it. "Hey," he said when he reached them. "I'll take it from here."

The other guys sized Finn up and nodded, walking away. Rachel smiled up at him. "If I'd known dancing with another guy is all it would take to get you out here, I'd have done it sooner." Finn didn't respond, just looked at her. "What?" she said, her smile slipping a little.

Finn lowered his head until his mouth was brushing her neck and sang with the music,

_Just leave with me now. Say the word and we'll go.__  
><em>_I'll be your teacher. I'll show you the ropes.__  
><em>_You'll see a side of love you've never known._

Shivers raced through Rachel's body. Finn was staring into her eyes, every part of his body tensely still, his jaw clenched. She nodded slightly and he picked her up in the middle of the dance floor and carried her off of it, somehow finding a side door and opening it, letting them out of the club. Turning and pushing Rachel against the wall, Finn's lips claimed hers, his tongue thrusting into her mouth.

Rachel didn't feel the brick wall against her back, and she never thought about being outside of a public club. Her hands were all over Finn, trying to touch every part of him. She pushed her hips into him, crying out softly when he pushed his back. His mouth left hers to trail kisses along her jaw and down her neck. "Finn," she gasped.

Her voice fought its way through the haze of his mind. Finn pulled back a little, breathing hard, looking down at her. He looked around, thankful they were alone. "Rachel," he groaned as her teeth scraped his jaw. "Rach, stop for a minute."

Rachel whimpered and laid her head back against the wall. "Why?"

Finn tried to control his breathing, but the way Rachel was looking at him was making it hard. "We're outside," he said.

"So?"

The fact that he could make Rachel Berry lose her mind so completely that she didn't even care they'd almost had sex _outside _almost undid him. "Rachel," he groaned, bending his head to place a hard kiss on her lips.

Rachel smiled into the kiss, splaying her hands against his chest. He pulled away again. "We're outside of the club, Rach," he whispered over her lips.

"Oh," she said, still dazed. Her eyes cleared a little and she looked startled. "_Oh_."

Finn laughed as she lowered her legs, straightening her dress out. "I'm sorry," he told her, sobering. "That was really rude of me."

Rachel blew out a breath. "This has been one of the craziest nights of my life," she told him. "What brought this on?"

Finn ran his hand through her hair. "I can't get enough of you," he told her. "I thought that after we'd been together that things would calm down, you know? That I wouldn't think about being with you every minute." Rachel nodded. "It's worse now, though. I know how you feel around me. I know the sounds you make when you're close to the edge. I know how you taste…" he trailed off, dropping his hand. "I can't get close enough to you. You're on my mind all of the time and I can't seem to stop myself from doing stupid stuff like this." He gestured to the club wall.

Rachel reached up and kissed him lightly. "I get it," she told him. "It's the same for me."

"Well then what the hell are we doing here?" Finn asked her, smiling as he ran his hand through his hair, causing it to stick up.

"We can't just lock ourselves in a bedroom and never come out," Rachel told him primly. Her brow creased questioningly. "Can we?"

Finn grinned broadly. "We could try."

Rachel rolled her eyes at him, smiling. She ran her hands down his arms and caught his hands. "This is crazy."

Finn nodded, smiling slightly. "You mad?"

Rachel bit her lip and shook her head. "No," she told him.

Finn bent so that his lips could lightly graze hers. "Want to go back in?"

"No," she said, laughing slightly. "But I think we should."

Finn nodded and they walked back into the club holding hands. "Hey!" Quinn called to them from a corner booth. She was sitting with several girls Rachel didn't recognize.

"Hey," Finn said, grimacing slightly at the table.

"Come here," Quinn said, gesturing them over. Finn squeezed Rachel's hand and let out a low breath. "Finn, you remember these girls, don't you?"

"Hey Finn," the blonde sitting beside Quinn purred. "It's been a long time."

"Hey Jessica," Finn said uncomfortably.

"This is Rachel," Quinn told the girls, motioning toward her.

"So Finn," another girl said, ignoring Rachel completely, "I hear that you're not dating Quinn anymore." Her eyes traveled the length of Finn's body. "Such a shame," she said, smiling coyly.

Quinn opened her mouth to say something but Finn spoke first. "I'm dating Rachel," he said, bringing Rachel's hand up to kiss it.

"How long are you in town for?" the dark haired girl asked, pouting her full lips. Quinn glanced at Rachel, wishing she hadn't invited the couple over. How had she forgotten what kind of girls these were? What kind of girl she used to be?

"We're leaving in a couple of days," Finn said, his look at Quinn begging her for help. He knew that a lot of his and Rachel's trouble had been her lack of confidence in his love for her and in the way she looked. This wasn't a good situation.

"Aw, come on, Finn," the other dark haired girl said, smiling wickedly. "You could stay a little longer, couldn't you? I'm sure we could find something for you to do."

Rachel burst out laughing, startling everyone. She couldn't help it; these girls were being ridiculous. "What are you laughing at, midget?" the girl Finn had called Jessica asked, annoyed.

"You're just too much," Rachel said, trying to catch her breath. Straightening up, she looked up at Finn. His eyes told her how much he loved her. "This man?" she said, putting her hand on Finn's chest. "He's mine. You can pout and bat your eyes," she giggled again, then cleared her throat. "You can pout and bat your eyes all you want, but it just makes you look pathetic."

Finn smiled at Rachel, and then kissed her. "Sorry, ladies," he said, holding back a chuckle at the looks on their faces. He winked at Quinn, who stood up. "I think it's time for us to rejoin our friends."

Quinn nodded, walking off with the couple. "I am so sorry," she said.

Rachel touched Quinn's hand. "It's not your fault. You can't help how people act."

Finn pulled Rachel onto the dance floor and Quinn walked over to where her friends were sitting, thinking about what Rachel had said. It wasn't her fault how other people acted…but how she acted was up to her completely.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Sam asked her, nudging her slightly and breaking into her thoughts.

Quinn smiled, and it actually reached her eyes. "I'm thinking about how great this new year is going to be."

Sam nodded. "Our last one." He looked out at the dance floor. "Want to dance?"

Quinn looked around. "Where's Mercedes?"

Sam nodded toward the dance floor. Mercedes was dancing with Mike and Tina was dancing with Artie. "What's going on?" Quinn asked, confused.

"I'm not sure," Sam admitted. "I think the whole world has gone crazy."

Quinn stood up. "Let's not get left behind," she said, holding her hand out to him.

"I'm right behind you," Sam told her, smiling and taking her hand. "Lead on."


	7. Chapter 7

Tina watched Mercedes and Mike dance, confused. Weren't they standing a little closer than they should be? Weren't they talking a little too intimately? "What's wrong?" Artie asked, rolling up with her drink.

"Thanks," she said, taking it from him and smiling. She nodded in the direction of the dance floor. "They seem awfully close," she said, watching the couple.

"Does it bother you?" Artie asked.

Tina sighed, shaking her head. "It bothers me more that it doesn't bother me." She looked at Artie. "Does that make sense?"

Artie shrugged. "You're probably okay with it because you know there's nothing going on."

"I don't know that," Tina said. She put her hands on the table. "Mike and I haven't really been getting along that well," she admitted.

Artie's heart jumped in his chest, but he was careful to keep any reaction from his face. "All couples have problems sometimes."

Tina shook her head. "It's more than that, I think." She watched her boyfriend and her friend dance. "All he talks about is "Asian this" and "Asian that." Don't get me wrong," she said quickly, glancing at Artie. "I'm proud to be Asian. But that's not all I am. I'm so much more than that." She frowned. "But I don't think he sees that."

"Tina," Artie said, almost too softly to be heard over the music, "anyone who knows you knows that you're more than that." He looked into her eyes. "So much more."

Tina felt tears well up in her eyes and she blinked them away. "Thank you, Artie," she said softly. "I've missed you."

Artie smiled. "I've missed you, too."

"Want to dance again?" she asked as the music switched to something slower.

Artie looked at her. "It's a slow song," he said. "You know you'll have to sit with me."

Tina smiled. "I know."

"Let's do it then," Artie said, moving out to the floor. When they got to the outer edge of the dancers, he stopped and Tina sat sideways in his lap, her arms around his neck and her head on his shoulder. Artie closed his eyes and spun his chair in slow circles.

"Watch it, freak!" a girl shrieked when Artie accidentally bumped into her.

"What did you say?" Tina growled from his lap.

"I said," the girl yelled, "that the freak you're dancing with needs to watch it!"

Artie mumbled "Sorry," embarrassed.

"Oh hell no," Tina said, standing up and glaring at the girl. "Apologize to my friend and I won't rearrange your face."

The girl snickered, looking Tina up and down. "I didn't realize you were a freak, too."

Tina lunged toward the girl but Finn was suddenly there and held her back. "What's going on, Tina?" Tina started ranting in a language Finn didn't understand. He looked over to Rachel for help. She had her hands on her hips and was glaring at the girl Tina had been arguing with. It was the dark haired girl Quinn had been sitting with earlier.

"What's the problem here?" she asked the girl.

The girl laughed. "I should have known these freaks would be friends of yours."

Finn moved toward her, but Rachel held up her hand. "Freaks?" She walked a step closer to the girl, cocking her head to the side.

The girl tossed her hair over her shoulders and sneered at Rachel. "Freaks," she said distinctly.

Rachel smiled a little, looking the other girl up and down. "Say it again," Rachel said, still smiling innocently.

The other girl frowned, backing up slightly. "What's your deal?"

"Hmmm," Rachel hummed. "My "deal" could be that someone as obviously trashy as you would ever dare to say the things you've said to such amazing people."

The girl snorted. "Look at what you're wearing, hobbit, before you call someone else trashy."

"Oh, I look good," Rachel said confidently. "Trash has more to do with how a person acts than how she dresses." Santana and the other girls had joined the circle of onlookers, each ready to jump in if needed. "And you, my dear, act like trash."

The brunette opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, staring at Rachel wide eyed, unable to believe that she was saying the things she was saying. "Now I don't expect you to apologize," Rachel continued. "It wouldn't matter anyway. Your apology, much like your opinion, would be worthless." Rachel shrugged. "But I do expect you to leave my friends alone." Rachel stared at the girl.

"Fuck you," the girl snarled, realizing that she was losing a battle in front of her friends. She rushed toward Rachel but Santana stepped in front of the smaller woman, punching the brunette in the face, dropping her.

"Someone come clean this mess up so we can get our dance on," Santana yelled, turning her back on the girl in the floor. She nodded at Rachel, who nodded back.

Finn moved to Rachel, pulling her to him and kissing her hard. "That was the hottest thing I've ever seen," he told her breathlessly.

"I didn't even do anything," Rachel said, looking up at him.

"You stood up for your friends. You stood up for yourself. You're amazing."

Rachel smiled. "_You're _amazing," she told him. "And if you love me…then I must be amazing too." Finn frowned a little and opened his mouth to say something. "Plus," Rachel added, cutting him off, "I'm all kinds of awesome."

Finn laughed, hugging her to him. Rachel had come such a long way; she was so much more confident in herself since they'd been to New York. She had sang on a Broadway stage and knew that she was going to make it there. She had no doubt. Finn didn't either. "You are so much like the girl I feel in love with right now that it takes my breath away."

Rachel made a face at him. "You thought that girl was crazy, if I remember correctly."

Finn laughed. "Crazy, yeah. Passionate, driven, confident," he added. "All of those things."

Rachel leaned her head on her chest. "I lost some of that somewhere," she told him.

Finn squeezed her tightly. "I'm scared that I'm the reason you did."

Rachel sighed and looked up at him. "How I feel about myself has nothing to do with how you feel about me, Finn. If I lost my confidence, it's because of things that I was thinking, not you."

Finn looked down at her, his eyes searing hers. "I wish I could explain how you make me feel, Rachel- how amazing I think you are."

"You don't have to, Finn. I can tell." She smiled. "But feel free to articulate your feelings any time you want." Finn frowned and she laughed. "Feel free to tell me any time."

Finn smiled crookedly. "I love you."

"I love you too," she told him, moving slowly with him on the dance floor, even though the music had a fast beat. She winked at Brittany, who was talking to Artie at the edge of the dance floor.

Mike was pulling Tina toward a bench seat, hoping to talk to her about what had happened. Finally, Tina jerked her hand away from him. "I need to talk to Artie, Mike." Mike looked at her for a moment, then nodded his head once. The sadness on his face tugged at Tina's heart. "Mike," she said, reaching for him.

"Go ahead," he told her. "We'll talk about it later." He walked away and Tina watched him. When she couldn't see him any more, she turned around and looked for Artie.

"Artie," she called, searching for him.

"We're here," Brittany called from a booth.

Slowing down when she realized that Brittany was with Artie, Tina wished she'd stayed with Mike. "Hey," she said uncertainly when she reached the booth. "I was, uh, just wondering if you were okay," she said to Artie.

"Are _you_ okay?" he asked her.

"I'm fine," Tina said, surprised. "I'm used to dealing with girls like that."

Artie shrugged. "So am I."

Brittany shook her head. "I think I am a girl like that," she said, frowning. "I don't want to be though."

"You're nothing like that girl," Artie told her, smiling at her. "You're one of the sweetest people I've ever known."

Brittany smiled and kissed Artie on the cheek. Tina started to get up, but Brittany did first. "I'm going to find Santana."

Artie and Tina watched her walk away. "So…are you two still seeing each other?" Tina asked hesitantly.

"No," Artie said, looking at her. "She wants to be free for a while."

"Oh," Tina said softly. "I'm sorry."

Artie shrugged. "It is what it is. She and I were good together, but we both knew it wasn't something that was going to last."

Tina nodded. "I thought that Mike and I were going to last."

Artie shifted uncomfortably. "I think you should talk to Mike about it. It's obvious he loves you."

Tina grimaced. "Is it obvious that I love him?"  
>Artie watched her. "I don't know," he told her. "You seem happy with him."<p>

"It takes a lot of effort to look that happy," Tina confessed, hanging her head. "And I'm so tired."

"Tina," Artie said, then stopped himself. She looked at him. "What do you want from me?"

Tina looked into his eyes. "I don't know," she admitted before she got up and walked off. Artie stared at the couples on the dance floor, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do next.

"What's going on?" Mike said, sitting down beside Artie.

Artie sat up and looked at his friend. "What do you mean?"

"What's going on with Tina?"

Artie sighed. "Shouldn't you be asking Tina?"

"I'm asking you," Mike said seriously. "Has she told you we've been having problems?"

"I'm just not comfortable with any of this," Artie said truthfully. "If you and Tina are having problems, you should be talking to each other about it, not me."

"So she has said something," Mike said.

"Why are you asking me about this?" Artie asked.

"I know she gets upset with me because I talk about our culture a lot. And maybe I do take it too far. But I think it's up to us to carry on our family traditions…if Tina would just understand how important that part of my life is to me…"

"Have you tried understanding what's important to her?" Artie asked before he could stop himself. "Do you even know what's important to her?"

Mike straightened up. "I guess you think you know what's important to her?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Artie said simply. "It's not my job to find out what's important to her."

Mike slammed his hands on the table, standing up. "I guess I'm not doing my job," he said, his voice surprisingly quiet. He turned to walk away.

"Mike," Artie called, causing the other man to turn around. "We're friends. I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize that."

Mike nodded. "I know you wouldn't Artie," he said, walking away. He was confused about everything. Spotting Mercedes laughing with Quinn, he admitted to himself that Tina was only the beginning of his problems.


	8. Chapter 8

Rachel rode on Finn's back on the way up to the house. It had been a long night and she was tired. Finn was humming but she couldn't make out the tune. She laid her head onto his back, smiling at the feel of the vibration against her cheek. Her friends walked in front of and behind them, all quiet. After the incident on the dance floor the night had been uneventful.

"We're going out early in the morning, right?" Puck asked Finn.

"Yeah. We'll pack a few coolers in the morning. That way we won't have to come back for food."

"Okay, man," Puck said. "Night, Berry."

"Good night, Noah," Rachel said, lifting her head to look at him.

"Sweet dreams," he said smugly, winking at her. "I know mine are gonna be."

Finn kicked Puck and the other man walked off laughing. "Good night," Finn called to his friends, not stopping as they reached the stairs. Rachel tried to slide off of his back but he tightened his grip on her. "I've got you, babe."

Rachel's heart fluttered at his words. He'd said earlier that she'd changed, and she knew it was true. But he had changed, too. He touched her more. He held her more. He smiled at her more. He treated her like she was special, something he was proud of. He talked to her about what he was thinking, and he came to her with his concerns. Rachel felt like a real part of his life this time around.

They reached the room and Finn let Rachel down beside the bed. He turned to look at her, running his hands down her bare arms. She moved to her tip toes and kissed him slowly, deeply. Groaning, Finn wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him, his tongue tracing her lips before moving into her mouth.

"Tonight was good," Rachel said when his lips left hers.

"Mmm," he hummed, kissing down her neck. "Tonight is going to get better." His lips burned a path down her chest, his tongue lapping at her exposed skin.

Rachel let her head fall back, her hands moving under Finn's shirt and rubbing up and down his hot skin. "Finn," she gasped as he moved all of the material over her breast and covered her nipple with his mouth. He smiled at the sounds she made when his teeth grazed the nub.

Releasing her, he stepped back enough to catch the end of her dress and pull it over her head. "God," he moaned, taking in her black lace underwear and high heels. Finn dropped to his knees, burying his face in her chest, his splayed hands almost completely covering her back. He placed tiny kisses across her stomach, his hands moving up to slowly unsnap her bra. Rachel's hands tangled in his hair and she sighed as she let the bra fall off of her.

Finn stared at her for a moment. Rachel's hair was tousled, her lips swollen and her eyes smoky with passion. Her dark nipples were puckered, begging for his touch. Her long legs looked even longer in the high heels. He closed his eyes for a moment, saying thanks that she was his.

Rachel smiled. "My turn," she said, unbuttoning the shirt he wore. She slowly drew the sleeves down his arms, and then let the shirt fall to the floor. Finn started to take off his undershirt, but she stopped him, pulling it off herself. When both shirts were off, Rachel dropped to her knees as well, kissing his chest, her tongue flicking over his flat nipples. Finn groaned and stood up, eager to be rid of his pants.

Rachel again stilled his hands, unbuttoning the pants and slowly lowering them. She couldn't stop her laugh as she noticed his Superman boxer briefs. "Are you laughing at me?" Finn asked in mock seriousness. "How dare you."

Rachel smirked up at him. "What if I was?" she asked cheekily.

Finn picked her up and put her on the bed, face down. "There are always consequences," he whispered in her ear, biting it gently. Rachel moaned and pushed her butt into him. Finn grabbed her hips, holding them to him as he pushed forward. Rachel trembled beneath him. "Slow down," he said, his tongue tracing her spine. Pulling her hair away, he nipped at her shoulder.

Rachel whimpered and tried to turn around. "Na uh," Finn said, his hand moving under her, over her stomach. "Consequences." His hand cupped her breast, catching the nipple and squeezing gently.

"Finn," Rachel cried, still trying to twist around. Finn's hand left her breast and traveled downward, dipping into her panties and running lightly over her clit. Rachel sucked in a sharp breath. "Finn," she said desperately.

"Yeah?" he asked, distracted. His finger ran back over her, and he marveled at how hot and wet she was.

"Please, Finn," Rachel groaned, moving into his hand.

Finn helped her remove the panties, then his own underwear, pulling her hips back so he could rub against her. "Rachel?" he asked, hesitating slightly.

"Now," she begged. Finn plunged into her, unable to be gentle or slow. Rachel moved into every thrust. As deep as Finn was inside her, she needed more.

Rachel's walls tightened around him and Finn moved deeper into her, his fingers once again moving between her legs. She screamed, burying her face into the bed as wave after wave of heat rolled through her body. Finn felt his body tightening up and then he, too, let go. "Rachel," he cried.

Finn moved beside her on the bed and she crawled on top of him, kissing him deeply. Finn wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him as his tongue danced with hers. Rachel took her mouth from his and smiled at him, then traced her tongue along his jaw. "What are you doing?" Finn mumbled, his hands running down her back to cup her butt.

"I'm just playing," Rachel told him, licking the outside of his ear.

Finn shuddered. "Rach," he groaned, moving her legs so they straddled his hips. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"You're Superman, remember?" she teased, kissing down his neck and onto his chest. Her hips moved slightly on his and Finn pulled her closer to him, grinding them together.

Rachel sighed and moved with him, her hot breath moving over his chest. Sitting straight up, Rachel moved her hips so that her center was rubbing against him. Finn hadn't thought it possible, but he was immediately rock hard. Reaching up, his hands covered her breasts, his thumbs rubbing over her nipples.

Rachel tossed her hair back, lifting up enough to be able to slide down on Finn. She moved slowly, not sure she'd be able to take all of him. Finn's hands clenched at his sides; he desperately wanted to grab her hips and slam her down on him.

Rachel kept moving until she was fully seated on him. "Oh," she gasped, looking at Finn.

Finn closed his eyes, begging his body to stay still. Rachel experimentally rolled her hips slightly and they both gasped, his eyes flying open and his hands moving to her hips. Rachel leaned forward and put her hands on his chest, each movement causing her to tighten around him. Finn's hips shot up and Rachel cried out. "I'm sorry," Finn said. "Oh God, Rach, I'm sorry."

Rachel looked at him, wide eyed. "Do it again," she whispered.

Finn stared at her for a moment, and then moved his hips into her. Rachel shrieked, rolling her hips. They began moving together, Rachel grinding down on top of him and Finn moving up to meet her. Rachel cried out with every thrust, until Finn brought her head down to meet his, silencing her with his mouth. His other hand moved to her clit, rubbing it as she moved down on him. Rachel's lips broke away from his and she gasped, breathing heavily against his mouth.

Finn came before she did, unable to stop himself. The feel of him pumping into her sent Rachel over the edge and her cry mixed with his. She fell on top of him, utterly spent.

"I think," Finn said, breathing hard as he brushed her hair from the side of her face, "that you have been punished enough."

Rachel giggled, not moving. "I'll move in a minute," she told him.

Finn wrapped his arms around her. "I don't want you to ever move," he told her huskily.

"This is perfect," Rachel said after a moment. She propped her chin on his chest and looked at him. "What did you think about all of the drama tonight?"

Finn groaned. "I'm just glad we didn't have to bail anyone out of jail."

"Did you notice how quiet Tina and Mike were on the way home?"

"I had other things on my mind," Finn told her, running his hand over her naked butt.

"Finn," Rachel said, annoyed.

Finn laughed. "Okay, yeah. I noticed."

"Mike spent the whole night dancing with Mercedes," Rachel said. She was silent for a moment. "Tina and Artie spent a lot of time together, too."

"I know what's going on in your head," Finn said. "Stop."

"Stop what?"

"Stop breaking Mike and Tina up in your head and putting them with Mercedes and Artie."

"But I like both of those pairings," Rachel mumbled.

"They're not chess pieces," Finn told her. "And besides, what about Sam?"

"Oh, he'll be back with Quinn," Rachel said matter-of-factly.

"Wait, what?"

Rachel looked at him again. "Don't tell me that you haven't realized they're still in love with each other." Finn was silent for a moment and Rachel frowned. "Does that bother you?"

"No," Finn told her, brushing her hair from her face. He sighed. "I feel like it's my fault they're not together now."

"We've talked about this," Rachel said, kissing his chest. "Everyone was in the wrong. Well, everyone but Sam."

"Sam is a really good guy. Way better than I am."

Rachel looked at him. "Wait, what?" she asked, repeating his earlier words.

Finn blew out a breath and looked at the ceiling. "Sam would have never gone behind my back to try to get Quinn. What does it say about me that I did that?"

"That you were hurt? That you were confused? That you're human?"

Finn looked down at her and smiled. "Do you think he's really forgiven me?"

"I think that if Sam says he's forgiven you, he's forgiven you."

"How did I get lucky enough to land such a smart woman?" Finn asked, kissing her forehead.

"You were born under the right star," Rachel told him.

"You are my star," Finn told her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer for a kiss.

Sam passed their closed door and heard Rachel laugh. Shaking his head and smiling, he walked on to the kitchen for a drink of water. Staring outside the kitchen window, he noticed that one of his friends was sitting on the deck. "Hey," he said, walking outside.

"Hey," Mercedes said, looking up at him from her seat.

"What are you doing out here? I thought you went to sleep already." He sat down beside her and she sat up straighter.

"I tried," Mercedes told him. "I just have a lot on my mind."

Sam smiled at her. "Like what?"

Mercedes took a deep breath. "Like Mike Chang."

Sam looked at her for a minute. "What about Mike?"

"What are we doing, Sam?"

Sam sat back, perplexed. "What are you and I doing?"

"Yeah."

"We're dating." He looked at her. "Aren't we?"

"Why are we dating?"

Sam stood up. "I don't know what's going on here, but I'm pretty sure I don't like it."

"Sam, sit down," Mercedes said, pulling his hand. He sat. "I like you," she told him, smiling. "I really like you. You're gorgeous, and kind. You're an amazing singer. You have a beautiful soul."

"I feel a 'but' coming on," Sam said.

"But I don't know that we're right for each other."

Sam sat for a moment, looking at her. "I don't understand," he said hoarsely. "No one can want me, is that it?"

"Sam, no, that's not what-"

Sam stood up abruptly. "No, Mercedes, that's _exactly _what this is."

"I care about you," Mercedes said. "I really do."

"Just not enough," Sam muttered, walking off into the night.

"Sam, wait!" Mercedes said, starting to follow him.

He stopped and pointed at her. "Just don't," he told her. "Leave me alone."

Mercedes stood on the porch and watched him walk away. "Crap," she said.

"You handled that well," Puck told her, walking past her.

"Are you going after him?" Mercedes asked him.

Puck waved a hand over his head and kept walking. He hadn't meant to listen to their conversation, but he'd been walking beside the house and was afraid to move because he didn't want to interrupt them. After hearing what Mercedes had to say, he wished now that he'd told them he was there.

"Yo, Evans, wait up," he called when he got a little closer to the other man.

"Not in the mood, Puckerman," Sam warned.

"I don't know why you're acting so upset," Puck said, falling into step beside his friend.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you feel the same way she does." Sam stopped walking and looked at Puck. "Don't try to deny it, man. It's obvious you're still in love with Quinn."

Sam stopped walking but didn't say anything for a moment. "This thing with Mercedes doesn't have anything to do with Quinn."

"Of course it does," Puck said. "Mercedes isn't stupid."

Sam ran his hands over his face. "What am I supposed to do, Puck?"

"You're supposed to roll with it," Puck said. "Shit happens."

Sam scoffed. "Shit happens? That's it?"

"Look, Fish Lips, it's not like I have all the answers," Puck told him. "My love life is worse than yours."

"What was up with that chick you were dancing with?"

Puck shrugged. "Did you see that dress Rachel was wearing?"

"What?" Sam asked, confused. He stared at Puck, understanding finally dawning on him. "You've got a thing for Rachel?"

Puck sighed. "You're not alone in being messed up, bro."

Sam patted Puck on the back. "Dude, she's completely in love with Finn."

"I know, man. I know." Puck stared at the ground. "I don't stand a chance. But you," he said, looking back up at Sam, "you have a chance. Quinn still cares about you."

"Quinn's confused," Sam said. "She doesn't know what she wants."

"Naw, man, that's where you're wrong. She knows exactly what she wants. She's just afraid he won't want her."

"Me? You think Quinn wants me?"

"I know Quinn wants you." Puck started walking again. Sam walked with him. "I've known her for years. I'm telling you, she wants you. It took me until this weekend to realize it, but there it is." He looked at Sam. "Are you still pissed about her cheating?"

Sam picked up a rock and threw it. "Didn't work out too well for her, did it?"

"Never does."

Sam looked at him. "I get why she did it. I really do."

"So are you still pissed or not?"

"I'm still hurt," Sam admitted.

"Get over it."

"Dude, what the hell?" Sam asked, annoyed.

"You're going to have to get over it," Puck told him. "She's different now and you know it. Has she apologized?"

"Yeah."

"Then move on."

"Have you never been hurt?"

"We're not talking about me, are we?"

They walked in silence for a moment. "What should I do?"

Puck smiled at him. "If things go like I figure they're going to go…you just have to wait."

Sam nodded. "I'm good with that." He looked around. "It's pretty out here."

"I'm not going to hold your hand," Puck told him.

"Shut up," Sam said, laughing. It was good to have friends.


	9. Chapter 9

"Who all's coming with us?" Rachel asked Tina.

"As far as I know, everyone will be."

"Riding all morning, lunch, and then riding until tonight," Rachel said. "How did we get talked into this?"

"Because you love me," Finn said, coming up behind her and kissing her cheek.

"I don't love you," Tina informed him.

"Of course you do," Finn said, winking at her. "Where's Mike?"

"I don't know," Tina said, turning around to the cooler she was packing.

Rachel raised her eyebrows at Finn and he shook his head and shrugged. "He's outside with Brittany, checking all of the bikes and quads," Sam said, walking into the kitchen.

"Are we sure there's enough for everyone?" Tina asked.

"Yeah. Brittany brought three dirt bikes, Puck, Mike and I brought our 4-wheelers, and Quinn's dad has three plus the mule. We're good," Finn told them.

"Who's in the mule with Artie?" Rachel asked.

"Mercedes. She doesn't want to ride on the back of a 4-wheeler, and she snorted when I mentioned the dirk bike," Tina said.

"How are we doing in here?" Quinn asked, coming into the kitchen.

"Almost ready," Rachel told her.

Sam stared at Quinn, thinking about what Puck had said last night. Santana came in and elbowed him. "You up for a race, Lips?"

"Bring it on," Sam said, smirking. "I have no problem beating a girl."

"We'll see," she winked at him. "What's the hold up in here? Even Zizes is up and ready."

"It takes a while to get lunch and dinner ready for 14 people," Finn told her. "Feel free to pitch in at any time."

"Please," Santana said. "I've already helped load the mule with firewood, water coolers, emergency supplies, yada yada."

"Yeah, yeah, everyone's helping," Finn said. "Give us a few minutes."

"Satan and I will go ahead and take what you've got packed out," Sam told them, grabbing a cooler.

"Sam," Santana whined.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Let's go."

Outside, Brittany and Puck were trying to decide which trail they should take first. Santana walked out of the house with a cooler and over to the mule where Mercedes was trying to arrange all of the things they were taking with them. "You sure you want to ride the mule?" Santana asked her.

"Girl, I'm not getting on one of those things," Mercedes said, nodding her head toward the motorcycles.

"Not even if it was behind Mike Chang?" Santana said, watching her.

"What are you talking about?" Mercedes said, looking around to see if anyone had heard Santana.

"You know what I'm talking about," Santana said, lifting the cooler into the back of the mule. "What are you doing, Mercedes? Tina is your best friend, and what about Sam?"

"I'm not doing anything," Mercedes said, glaring at the other woman.

"Oh, come off it," Santana told her, hands on her hips. "I'm not the only person who sees it. You think Tina didn't notice you and Mike dancing and laughing all night last night?"

"No, I think she was probably too busy doing the same with Artie," Mercedes shot back.

"Maybe you should ask her why Mike slept downstairs on the couch last night, then," Santana told her. She took a breath. "Look, I'm sick of this shit, okay? If we're going to be a family, the secrets are going to have to stop. Tina _is _your best friend. At the very least, you need to talk to her." With that, Santana walked over to where Brittany was checking the gas in all of the vehicles.

"Well that was awkward," Artie said from the passenger seat in the mule.

"Artie," Mercedes said, horrified. "I'm so sorry. I forgot you were there."

"Obviously," Artie said, staring ahead. "She's right, you know. You and Tina need to talk. So do Tina and Mike."

Mercedes sat behind the wheel and blew out a breath. "This is a hot damn mess," she told her friend. "I never wanted to have feelings for Mike. I came here this weekend crazy about Sam."

"What happened there?"

"Exactly what I knew would happen," Mercedes muttered. "He's still in love with Quinn."

"But they're not together," Artie pointed out.

"And they'll never have a chance to be together if he's with me."

Artie looked at her. "You make a valid point," he said.

Mercedes nodded. "It was fun having such a sweet guy care about me. But I'm not going to hold him back when I know I'm not what he really wants." She looked toward the house. "I think he hates me," she said miserably.

"Sam doesn't hate anyone," Artie told her.

"Hey," Mike said, walking up to them. "Do you guys have everything you need?"

"I think we're good," Artie answered for them.

Mike nodded, stealing a glace at Mercedes. "Some of the trails we're going to go on are going to be too narrow for the mule, but Quinn said that there's always an alternate trail that's wider. We'll make sure you guys are on it before we head down ours, okay?"

"Sounds good," Mercedes told him, smiling. Mike smiled back at her a moment too long. Artie cleared his throat.

"Okay, I'm going to go finish packing," Mike told them.

"Santana's right," Artie said. "It's so obvious."

Mercedes sighed. "I've got to talk to Tina."

Tina and the others walked out of the house carrying the rest of the supplies. Artie watched her, worrying about how she'd feel when Mike or Mercedes talked to her. Mike walked up to her and took the cooler, earning him a smile. How could he have Tina smile at him like that and even think about another girl?

"Are you still mad at me?" Mike asked Tina as he walked beside her.

"I wasn't ever mad at you," Tina told him.

"Then what _are_ you?" Mike asked a bit desperately.

"Are we going to talk about this now?" Tina asked him, stopping.

Mike stopped too and looked at her. "We need to talk about it, Tina. I'm confused and upset…I don't understand what's going on."

"We're falling apart," Tina told him. All around them, their friends worked to get things together for the day, but Tina and Mike seemed to be in their own little bubble.

"Why?" Mike asked her.

Tina reached for his hand. "I don't know," she told him earnestly. "I wish I did. I would fix it." She looked toward the mule. "I've seen you with Mercedes. Your whole face lights up when she makes you laugh…like it used to for me."

"I love you, Tina," he said, squeezing her hand.

"I love you, too," she told him. "This doesn't have to be the end forever, Mike," she said as a tear slipped down her face. "But I think it needs to be the end for now."

"Right now?" Mike asked, shaking his head.

Tina looked over at Artie. "Right now," she said. "We both know it's time."

"It's Artie, right?" Mike asked.

"It's Mercedes, right?" Tina countered.

Mike sighed and sat the cooler down, pulling Tina close for a hug. "I just want you to be happy."

"That's what I want for you too," she said against his chest. They pulled away from each other slowly. Tina nodded at Mike, and he nodded back. Picking up the cooler, he walked to the mule.

Mercedes walked toward Tina. "Tina," she said, reaching the other woman.

Tina held up her hand. "Do we have to do this right now?" she asked again.

Mercedes stopped close to her. "Tina, I'm not sure what's going on. But I'm sorry for anything I've done."

Tina nodded. "I know that. And it's not your fault, Mercedes. Sometimes things just don't work out."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Tina plastered a smile on her face. "Not really."

"Let's go, let's go!" Puck called to everyone. "We're wasting daylight."

"Oh, I think we've got plenty of daylight left," Rachel muttered as she walked past the two women.

Mercedes and Tina laughed. "I'm with Rachel, who talked us into this mess?" Mercedes asked.

"I'm pretty sure it was Brittany, actually," Tina told her.

"That girl is going to be the death of us all," Mercedes said, shaking her head.

"She takes her Motocross stuff seriously," Tina told her friend.

"Come on!" Puck yelled in their direction.

"Okay, okay, you don't got to be yelling like a crazy person," Mercedes told him. She hugged Tina. "We'll talk later," she told her friend, walking to the mule where Artie was waiting.

Deciding who was riding what took almost an hour. Finn and Rachel were riding together on his 4-wheeler. Since Quinn didn't feel comfortable driving anything herself, she was riding with Sam on a 4-wheeler. Blaine and Kurt were riding a 4-wheeler together as well. Lauren was riding a 4-wheeler by herself, as was Tina and Santana. Brittany, Mike and Puck were riding dirt bikes and were going to lead the way. Artie and Mercedes were going to bring up the rear in the mule.

After everyone got on their ride, they got started. Finn let Rachel sit in front of him, though he was driving. He knew she wouldn't be able to see anything if she sat behind him. His arms were long enough to reach around her comfortably.

Since the trails they were riding on were muddy, they'd all worn jeans and boots. Finn had never seen Rachel in jeans before and he couldn't believe that they looked as sexy on her as her skirts. He realized that his inability to look at Rachel without drooling was probably some sort of mental condition, but he felt okay with it. There were worse things he could be thinking about.

Though Quinn assured them she knew where they were going, they ended up getting lost several times. No one complained because they were all enjoying the ride. When they hit a bump, Quinn held on to Sam tightly, putting her head down on his back.

"Are you okay back there?" he asked her.

"I'm good," she yelled to him to be heard over the sound of the 4-wheeler.

Sam took his hand off of the handlebar to squeeze hers. Moved by the gesture, Quinn smiled. She wasn't sure what was going on with Mike and Tina and Artie and Mercedes, but she was determined to enjoy this time with Sam.

Kurt watched Quinn from the back of his and Blaine's 4-wheeler. He and Quinn had never been very good friends; they rarely even talked to one another. Finn had forgiven her so easily for all that she'd put him through their sophomore year, but it had taken Kurt a little longer. While that made no sense, that's just how it was. He'd been watching her lately, though, and couldn't help but notice how sad she was.

He and Blaine had talked about it last night, after Blaine had said something about the family picture hanging in the den. "They're such a good looking family," he'd told Kurt. "It's hard to believe those smiles are lies."

Kurt had realized for some time that most of Quinn's smiles were lies. Though she went along with everyone and participated in whatever activity the club had planned, he could tell that her heart was never really in it. But seeing her smile into Sam's back, he recognized the expression on her face. Contentment. Quinn still had feelings for Sam; deep ones.

Kurt looked up at Finn and Rachel. They both smiled all of the time now. He loved Finn like the brother he had become, and he was partial to Rachel, too. The little diva had somehow wormed her way into his heart, though he'd spent so much time trying to push her away. Kurt worried about what would happen when they graduated. He knew that Finn was trying to get into college in New York, but there was always the chance that he wouldn't. Since Kurt planned on moving to New York, he knew that Finn would always have a place to live there even if he didn't get into one. Would he want to live there without going to school, though?

"I can _feel _you plotting," Blaine said to him, speaking loudly to be heard.

"I'm not plotting," Kurt told him. "Just thinking."

"Oh yeah? About what?"

"New York," Kurt told him. "And Finn."

Blaine nodded. He and Kurt had talked about New York many times. While Blaine enjoyed singing (and was brilliant at it, if Kurt did say so himself), he didn't know that New York was the right place for him right after high school. Kurt had been a little heart broken at the news, but he figured that they had another year to figure everything out. "You don't think he'll get into any schools there?"

"I don't know," Kurt told him. "It worries me."  
>Kurt and Rachel had talked about New York together many times. Rachel planned their time there without mentioning Finn, and seemed a little sadder every time. Kurt didn't know if Rachel was really going to be able to go without his brother. He didn't know if he wanted her to. Finn and Rachel were "that" couple; you wanted them to be together and happy because you couldn't stop smiling when you looked at them.<p>

"They'll make it," Blaine told him, swerving to miss a large rock.

"I hope so," Kurt said, too low for Blaine to hear.


	10. Chapter 10

They rode through fields and forest, up a creek and into mud. By the time they finally reached the clearing Quinn had told them about for lunch, they were all sore and filthy.

"This is a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be," Rachel admitted, sitting on a blanket Finn had spread out.

"I can't believe how beautiful it is around here," Tina said.

They passed around the coolers, each person taking what they wanted out of it and moving it on around the circle. After finishing lunch, Rachel and Finn laid back on their blanket, watching the clouds. Accordingly, that soon turned into a competition with Santana and Mercedes.

"That is not an elephant," Mercedes argued, twisting her head. "It's not even close to an elephant."

"No, I agree, I see an elephant," Rachel said.

"Told you," Santana said smugly. "It's an elephant."

"You people are crazy," Mercedes huffed, searching for another cloud she could name before they did.

"How did an elephant get up there?" Brittany asked, confused. Santana patted her hand.

Rachel rolled over and put her head on Finn's chest. "Can I drive?" she asked him.

"The 4-wheeler?" he asked her, pushing her hair from her face.

"Yeah."

"Sure," he told her.

"Everyone pay attention, as this could be a safety issue," Puck said from beside them. "Berry is going to be driving a 4-wheeler." Their friends snickered.

"I'll have you know, Noah Puckerman, that I am an excellent driver," Rachel said frostily. "Right Finn?"

Finn looked away, making a face. "Yeah…sure."

"Finn!" Rachel cried.

"Well…you've ran over my trash can three times."

"You keep moving it!" Rachel shrieked.

"To try to keep it safe."

"Whatever," Rachel said, pouting. "I'll show you all."

"I'm not scared," Quinn said. "I think Rachel can do it."

"Thank you," Rachel told the other girl, smiling smugly at Finn.

"We'll see," Finn said, smirking at her.

"What trails are we taking this time?" Mike asked Quinn. He and Tina were sharing a blanket, as planned, but they weren't really talking to each other.

"There are two really hard trails, and some easy ones. I figured we could divide up and all meet back here…" she looked at her friends. "But that was before I realized how hard it would be for us to all remember how to get back here."

"Everything looks the same to me," Lauren said. "But I can follow someone who knows what they're doing." Everyone nodded.

"I would be able to get back here," Brittany told them.

"I can get back here, too," Sam said. "Plus, I have Quinn with me and she can probably find it again."

"Wait, are we saying that we're all going to split up?" Mercedes asked. "I'm not sure I'm okay with that. Artie and I can't go a lot of places you guys can go."

"I'll go wherever you guys go," Tina told her friend.

"We will too," Blaine told them. Kurt nodded. He'd told Blaine that while he was enjoying the day, going up and down hills scared him a little. He just didn't want to fall off.

"If you want," Quinn told them, pointing towards a break in the woods, "there's a pond at the end of that path. We brought fishing poles, or you guys could go swimming."

"Brittany, Mike and I want to go up the worst trail, but I think only dirt bikes will fit. There is another trail that'll be fun, though. We can show the rest of you where to go," Puck told the rest of his friends. "Everyone be really careful. I don't know if you noticed on the way here or not, but because of the storms last week there are a lot of trees that have fallen but are hung up on other trees. They could fall at any time, so if you see them you need to avoid them." Everyone nodded.

"Let's go then!" Rachel told her friends. They quickly packed up and got on their rides.

Finn got on their 4-wheeler first, scooting back so Rachel could sit in front of him. If it were up to him, they would ride 4-wheelers all day, every day. To be out in the open, in such a beautiful place, with Rachel in his arms? He really couldn't imagine anything better.

"Hey baby," he said, smiling at her.

Rachel sat on the seat sideways, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Are you sure you can trust me to drive this thing?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Finn smiled at her pique. "I've got you," he told her. The phrase was quickly becoming Finn's mantra, and the words sent shivers down Rachel's spine every time he said it.

Sliding on in front of him, she leaned back into his arms, sighing. "I love you," she said, moving her head on his shoulder so that she could kiss his cheek.

"Love you too," he said, smiling down at her.

"You two, stop!" Puck called from his bike. "Let's ride!"

Rachel felt Finn chuckle as she started the motorcycle. Since it was an automatic, she didn't have to worry about changing gears. Finn had explained all of the controls to her earlier, and she figured she was ready to drive. She hadn't realized, though, how incredibly heavy the 4-wheeler was or how hard it would be to turn the stupid thing. Before they even reached the place where they were going to split up she was exhausted. Because Puck smiled at her smugly, she refused to admit how much trouble she was having.

Rachel and Finn were in the back of the group of ATV's on the path and she slowed down a little bit. Quinn turned around with a questioning look and Rachel made a face that said "I'm dying!" and motioned her on. Quinn nodded and leaned up to yell something so Sam and the couple sped up.

"What's going on?" Finn asked her, leaning close to her ear to be heard.

"Just taking it all in," Rachel lied. Her arms were on fire; turning the 4-wheeler had become torture.

"You're doing such a good job," Finn told her, squeezing her shoulder.

"Thanks," she replied lamely. Since it was just Finn, she could probably admit what was going on…but he was always remarking on how strong she was. Sure, he was talking about emotionally, but she didn't want him to think she was a weakling physically.

They rode for a long time. Rachel was glad that Finn had put his hands on the back of the 4-wheeler instead of around her; her whole body was trembling. She had gotten to the point where all she wanted was to catch up with their friends, flip Puck off, and let Finn take over. Because she was in such a hurry, she wasn't even paying attention to their surroundings.

"Rachel!" Finn cried just as a huge deer jumped in the path in front of them. Rachel's arms were too tired to turn the machine as far as she needed to, and they sideswiped a tree, hitting a rock and throwing Finn off. The 4-wheeler flipped over and landed on top of Rachel, a tree that had fallen in the storm Puck had told them about falling on top of it.

The breath had been knocked out of Finn when he hit the ground, and his vision was a little hazy because his head had hit a rock. He shook his head to clear it, trying to focus on finding Rachel. "Rach?" he croaked, crawling on the ground. "Rachel!" he yelled, seeing the overturned 4-wheeler. Getting to his feet, he ran over to it, searching for her. "Rachel!"

He heard her moan and ran to the other side of the wreckage. Her head and chest were free from the motorcycle but the rest of her was under it. Finn felt bile rise in the back of his throat. "Rachel?" he whispered, afraid to touch anything.

Rachel's eyes opened and she looked at him. "Finn?"

Finn dropped to his knees beside her, looking at the 4-wheeler and the tree. "Oh God, Rachel, are you okay?"

"I think so," she said. "I can't move though."

"No," Finn said, anguished.

"No, I mean that I'm stuck," Rachel told him, knowing that he'd feared the worst. "I can feel my legs and everything."

Finn felt such a wave of relief that he became lightheaded. "We've got to get you out of here."

"Finn," Rachel said softly. "I don't think you can do this alone."

Finn looked again at the tree, then back at Rachel. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I don't think so," Rachel said slowly, taking inventory of her injuries. "Well, I kind of hurt all over. But I don't think anything is broken."

Finn rubbed his hands over his face, looking at their surroundings. "I don't know where we are," he groaned. "I wasn't really paying attention."

"Maybe they'll come back for us?"

Finn shook his head. "I'm not even sure if we're on the right path."

Rachel was silent for a moment. "You're going to have to leave me and go find them," she said finally.

"No," Finn said firmly. "I'm not leaving you in the middle of the woods by yourself."

"Finn, you have to," Rachel told him. "They may never find us."

"No," he said again. "I probably wouldn't be able to find you again. I'm not taking a chance."

"I don't want to be left alone," Rachel told him. "But I don't want to spend the night stuck under the 4-wheeler."

Finn continued to shake his head. There was no way he could lift the tree off of the 4-wheeler, but if he got lost in the woods he'd never be able to find her again. "I'll rip up my shirt," he said after a moment. "I'll rip up my shirt and tie it to trees, so I'll know where I've been and how to get back to you."

Rachel smiled at him. "That's a good idea."

Finn bent down and kissed her forehead. "I can do this," he said, almost to himself. "I can find them and get them back here. You're going to be okay." Rachel didn't ask him who he was trying to convince.

Finn took off his t-shirt and began ripping it into strips. When he was finished he found the water bottle he and Rachel had been sharing and took a drink out of it. "I'm going to leave this with you," he told her. He looked around and found a large, thick stick. "This, too. Use it if anything comes close." He closed his eyes for a moment. "I am so sorry this has happened," he told her, opening them and brushing some hair off of her forehead.

"This is my fault," she said, capturing his hand in hers. "I'm the one who's sorry."

"I don't want to leave you," Finn said, his chin trembling. Angrily, he wiped a tear off of his cheek, doing his best to hold the rest of them back.

"Bring help," Rachel whispered, stroking his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," he told her. They looked at each other for a moment, and Finn stood up. "I'll bring them."

Rachel nodded and watched him go, only letting herself cry when she couldn't see him anymore. She'd put on a brave face, but she was terrified. She was afraid that the tree would move and crush her, or the 4-wheeler would suddenly catch on fire or a bear would eat her. She would have laughed at the last thought if she wasn't so scared.

Finn wrapped a strip around a tree close to Rachel, and then started walking in what he hoped was the right direction. Every so often he'd add another strip to another tree, hoping this would be the last one he had to use. He couldn't stop thinking about Rachel being alone and trapped under the 4-wheeler and it was driving him crazy. Never in his life had he felt this sort of fear. Though he'd not done a great job of hiding it, he didn't think Rachel realized how completely terrified he was.

Screaming for help every few minutes, Finn sent up prayer after prayer that his friends would eventually hear him.

At the pond, everyone else was finishing up their dinner. Watching the sun sink, Lauren spoke up. "Okay, are we going to discuss this?" She eyed Puck, who had been pacing for the last few minutes. "I know that they may have stopped to take a break or whatever, but there's no way they shouldn't be back by now."

Quinn nodded. "They must have gotten lost," she said.

"What do we do?" Tina asked her.

"We need to go find them," Puck said, staring into the woods.

"If something happened to their ride and they're yelling for us we'll never hear them over the sound of our own rides," Mike told them.

"Mike's right," Sam added. "Do you guys think we should look for them on foot?"

"What if we get lost?" Mercedes said. "Or we can all stay together…" she thought for a moment. "We wouldn't cover much ground that way though."

"It's been hours," Brittany said, worried. "We have to do something."

"Next time," Quinn said quietly, "we're bringing walkie talkies."

"Here's what we're going to do," Santana said. "I'm pretty sure that wherever I go I can find my way back. Brittany, Puck, Quinn and Mike can as well. We'll divide up and look for them, but we need to always stay within shouting distance of each other." She looked at Artie. "Artie, you can stay here in case they show up." She looked down at her watch. "It's going to be dark soon. We'll meet back here in an hour and a half."

Puck nodded. "Someone should stay with Artie and help him build a fire. That will help us find our way back if it does get dark."

"I'll stay," Kurt told them. "I don't think I'll be much use to you guys out there."

Blaine touched him on the shoulder and Kurt held his hand. He was much more worried than he was letting on. He could understand Finn and Rachel taking their time, but the only way they would still be gone is if something had happened. "Find them," he whispered to Blaine.

Blaine nodded, understanding the fear in Kurt's tone. "We will," he promised.

The groups divided and headed out, each following their leader. They made certain to take their water bottles; even though the sun was sinking, it was still terribly hot out. The leaders each took an extra water bottle, in case they found the couple and they needed it.

Mercedes was following Mike, trying her best to keep up. She and the rest of her friends that had stayed back at the pond had spent the afternoon fishing and playing. She knew that she was in a lot better shape for this search than most of them.

Lauren, for instance, was _dying _as she followed Puck up another hill. Stopping to try to catch her breath, she leaned against a tree. "Wait," she called to Puck who ignored her. "Dammit," she muttered, resting her head against the tree as Puck went on.

After her breathing had returned to normal she righted herself. Taking a step, she paused for a moment. She wasn't sure what she thought she'd heard, but she stayed completely still, listening. They'd been walking for far longer than the hour and a half they'd agreed on, and she figured she was probably having a heat stroke or something.

Puck walked down the hill toward her, his face angry. "Lauren, come the fuck on," he told her.

"First of all, I know you're worried, but you best calm the fuck down." She put her finger to her lips. "I think I hear something."

Puck stilled, straining to hear. He, too, thought he heard something. "Do you think it's one of the other groups?" he asked her.

Lauren shook her head. "Wrong direction."

"Hey!" Puck yelled, startling Lauren. "Finn! Rachel!"

"Help!" they heard faintly. It was Finn's voice. Puck felt his knees buckle.

Lauren held him up, yelling to their friend, "Over here! Finn's over here!"

They heard their friends moving towards them in the woods. "Finn!" Puck yelled again, running in the direction he thought he'd heard his friend, tripping twice. "Finn!"

"Puck," he heard, the voice getting closer.

Puck kept running, knowing his friends were close behind him. He broke through the woods to a small clearing. Finn was running to him, shirtless. Puck noticed the blood on Finn's head and body, and then quickly looked around for Rachel. "Where's Rachel?" he asked, panicked.

Finn sank to his knees, light headed. "4-wheeler wreck," he told Puck.

"Where?" Puck demanded.

"Get out of his face, Puck," Sam demanded, catching up to them. Taking the extra water Puck was holding, he handed it to Finn, taking stock of his friend's injuries. "Let me see your head," he told the other man.

Finn slapped Sam's hand away. "We've got to find Rachel," he told them.

"Look at his eyes," Sam told Quinn and the others quietly. "I think he has a concussion."

Finn shook his head slightly as if to clear it, standing up. He stumbled and Mike steadied him. "Is Rachel okay?" Mike asked him.

"Tree fell," Finn told them. "4-wheeler's on top of her."

Several members of the group gasped. "How do we get to her?" Puck asked his friend.

Finn gestured to his chest. "Tore my shirt into strips," he told them. "Tied it around the trees."

Puck nodded, heading off toward the direction Finn had come from. "Puck, wait," Quinn said.

"What?" Puck snarled, turning around to face her.

"I know that you're worried, but this isn't helping," she told him quietly. "We need to make a plan."

"I ran out of shirt," Finn told them. "I think I can remember how to get there though."

"Okay, let's give Finn a moment and we'll go," Blaine said.

"Let's go now," Finn said, moving away from Mike. He looked into Puck's eyes. "We've got to find her."


	11. Chapter 11

Rachel was too tired to cry any more. She'd tried humming to herself to stay calm, but then she worried that she was going to attract some angry animal's attention. She worried about Finn, praying every other minute that he would be okay. She'd noticed how unsteady he'd looked and was afraid that he'd hit his head harder than he let on.

She felt bugs crawling on her legs- under her pants- and did the best she could at not thinking about it. She'd ran out of water long before, though she'd tried to save some. She was lying right in the sun, so besides becoming increasingly thirsty she knew that she'd developed a terrible sun burn. Since her arms were free, she was able to read her watch. Four hours had passed. Surely Finn had found their friends by now.

But what if they couldn't find her? What if something happened to the strips Finn had tied on the trees? Shaking her head, Rachel instead focused on songs she'd like to see in Glee Club next year. She knew that she was going to have to fight even harder for solos, but she was prepared to do so. Nothing was going to stop her from being a star on Broadway.

After a few moments she found that she was dozing off. She slapped her face, trying to stay awake, and then cursed herself because of the sun burn. But what if they came right by her and she was asleep? They'd miss her! And if a snake or animal came for a visit, she definitely wanted to be awake for it.

"Rachel!" she heard from far away. "Rachel!"

"Finn!" she yelled, crying again from sheer relief. "I'm here!"

Rachel heard her friend's way before she saw them. Finn was suddenly standing over her. "Rachel," he said, dropping to his knees.

"Finn, your head," she said, reaching up for him. It shouldn't still be bleeding, should it?

Finn caught her hand and kissed it, smiling at her. "I brought everyone," he told her, moving back so she could see their friends. He handed her the water bottle and she took it gratefully.

Sam and Puck kneeled beside her. "Are you hurt?" Puck asked, searching her face and body for injuries.

Rachel shook her head. "Bumped my head, a few scrapes," she told them.

Puck closed his eyes for a second. "Okay," he said after a moment, "we have to get this off of you."

Sam studied the wreckage. "It's going to take all of us to lift the tree," he said. He admitted to himself that he wasn't sure they'd be able to lift it at all.

The group hurriedly discussed their plans since the sun was sinking quickly. Mike and Sam discussed the best ways to lift the tree so that it added no pressure to the 4-wheeler…and Rachel. After they'd made a plan, everyone got into position. Mike counted to three and they all lifted. The tree wouldn't move.

"This isn't working," Blaine yelled.

"Fuck," Puck, Lauren and Santana said at the same time.

"Sam!" Rachel cried from under the 4-wheeler. Finn had fallen down beside her. She couldn't reach him and she wasn't sure he was breathing. "Someone!" she shrieked, sobbing.

Sam and Quinn rushed to Finn. "He's breathing," Quinn told the group as Sam used some of his water to clean the gash in Finn's head.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Sam said. "I still think he has a concussion." He looked at Rachel. "Did he pass out after the wreck?"

"I don't know," Rachel said, still crying and trying to reach Finn's hand. "I…I think so, but just for a moment."

Sam nodded, looking at Finn. "Should we wake him up?" Brittany asked Sam.

"I don't know," Sam said hoarsely. "I have no idea what to do." Quinn put her hand on his shoulder and he touched hers, grateful for the simple contact.

"He's out now but he's breathing," Tina said. "I think the best thing we can do is let him rest until we get Rachel out."

The rest of her friends nodded and gathered back around the tree. Before taking her spot, Quinn took Finn's hand and placed it in Rachel's outstretched one. "Thank you," Rachel whispered through sun burned and cracked lips.

Quinn nodded, quickly finding her spot. She didn't want Rachel to see her tears. Her eyes met Pucks and she recognized the fear in them. She wasn't surprised to see tear tracks down his face as well. The heart of the Glee Club was lying on the ground; one passed out with a possible concussion, the other trapped under a 4-wheeler. Puck nodded to her.

"We've got to do this, guys," Mercedes told them, looking around. "This time when we lift, this tree is going to move. You understand me?" Everyone nodded.

When Mike counted to three, the Glee Clubbers lifted with all of their might. The tree rose off of the 4-wheeler, and they struggled to move it to the side. Sweat and tears mixed on many of their faces, burning their eyes. Their groans and screams mingled in the air as they finally pushed the tree away from the 4-wheeler.

Several of them fell down after they dropped the tree. Santana put her arms around Brittany, who was crying softly. Puck and Sam quickly moved to the 4-wheeler to figure out the best way to get if off of Rachel. When Blaine and Mike joined them, they quickly lifted it off of her, setting it upright. Rachel immediately scrambled over to Finn, unable to even see the extent of the damage through the tears in her eyes.

"Rachel," Mercedes said, pulling her back. "Let us check you out, okay?" The smaller woman shook her head and refused to move from Finn's side.

Brittany and Santana were checking over the 4-wheeler, making sure there was nothing to prevent it from starting. Brittany got on it and turned it on, surprised at how easily it started. "Put Finn and Rachel on," Brittany told Puck. "I can get them to the lake house and to the hospital."

Puck nodded and he and Sam picked their friend up, being careful not to shake him. They sat Finn behind Brittany, his head resting on her shoulder. "Brittany, are you sure you can do this? Finn will be leaning on you the whole time and he's heavy."

Brittany looked into Puck's eyes. "I've got them," she told him. Puck held her eyes for a moment longer before he nodded. Out of the group, Brittany was the best navigator.

"Take care of them," Puck said, watching as Mike helped Rachel on behind Finn. She wrapped her arms around him, tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes. Brittany nodded and drove off, careful to not jostle her passengers.

"Let's get back to the pond and get out of here," Blaine said.

Puck didn't move until the 4-wheeler was out of sight. "Brittany will get them to the hospital," Santana told him, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I just wish I could go with them," Puck told her, not looking at her.

"It sucks, doesn't it?" she asked him.

"What?"

"Caring about other people."

Puck sighed, nodding. "I don't understand why I decided to give it a try."

They walked in silence for a few minutes. "I'm sure that we could have a long conversation right now about feelings and all that stuff, but I don't want to," Santana said, breaking it.

A startled laugh escaped from Puck. "You're a crazy ass chick, Satan, you know that?"

"It's what I do best," she said, stepping over a log. She looked up at the small patches of sky that was visible through the trees. "It's getting darker," she said.

Puck looked up and nodded. "Think we'll have any trouble finding the lake house?"

"I hope not," she mumbled. Brittany was their best navigator, so it made sense that she be the one to take Rachel and Finn back. Without her, though, the group left behind might struggle to figure out where they were going.

Walking in front of the group, Mike looked over at Mercedes. "You okay?" he asked her.

"What are you talking about?"

"You were crying…"

"Lots of people were crying," Mercedes told him.

Mike nodded. "I was just wondering."

They walked for a few more minutes. "I'm not okay," Mercedes finally said.

Mike looked at her. "Want to talk about it?"

Mercedes shrugged as she pushed a tree limb out of her way. "I'm scared."

"About Finn?"

She nodded. "Everything can be going so well, you know? And then something like this happens. What if he's not okay?"

"He will be," Mike promised.

Mercedes shook her head. "I hope you're right. It's time for Rachel and Finn to catch a break." They kept walking. "I saw you talking to Tina earlier," she blurted out.

"Yeah?"

Embarrassed, she shook her head. "Never mind."

"She broke up with me," Mike told her, watching her face for a reaction.

Mercedes frowned. "I'm sorry, Mike. Was it anything I did?"

Mike shook his head. "Sometimes things just don't work out." He shrugged. "We were just growing apart." They held each others eyes for a moment. Both realized it was too soon to start something new, but both realized that they wanted to.

"Crap," Quinn said behind them, and they looked away from each other.

"What happened?" Sam said to her.

"Nothing, I just stepped into some sort of hole," she told him. She looked around them and sighed. "Are we going the right way?"

"Haven't you been paying attention?"

Quinn blew her bangs out of her face. "No," she admitted.

"We're going the right way," he told her. He watched her for a moment. "Are you okay?" he asked her, unintentionally repeating Mike's question to Mercedes.

"I'm fine," she told him.

"You don't sound fine."

"How am I supposed to sound?" Quinn asked him, a lump rising in her throat. Rachel's face when she was trying to reach Finn would haunt her for a long time. She'd never seen such desperation.

Sam sighed. "I don't know."

Quinn realized that she was being a bitch. "I'm sorry, Sam," she told him. "I'm just not used to being asked how I'm doing."

Sam took her hand. "I'm sorry."

Quinn snorted, looking away. "It's not your fault," she said, her chin quivering.

"You're not as strong as you pretend to be, Quinn," Sam told her. "It's okay to break down sometimes."

"Once a weekend will have to do," Quinn said, still not looking at him.

Sam grabbed her arm to stop her, waiting as their friends passed by them. "Stop," he told her, staring into her eyes. "Two people you really care about are hurt. I know that affects you."

Quinn cocked her eyebrow at him. "So?"

"So it's okay to let your guard down," Sam said, frustrated. "It's okay to admit that you care, that you're hurting."

"If I let my guard down, it will give someone something to use against me."

Sam shook his head. "Who, Quinn? Who here would ever use something like that against you when we're all feeling the same way?"

"I don't know," she shouted, pulling her arm away from him. Some of their friends looked back at them, but they all kept walking. Whatever was going on, they didn't want to get involved. "Look," she said after a moment, "we need to get to our ride and get back to the lake house."

Sam looked at her, shaking his head. "Fine. But I want to talk about this later, Quinn."

"Whatever," she told him, walking.

Sam watched her for a moment, wishing she wasn't so guarded with her feelings. Knowing that there was nothing he could do right now and that they really did need to get back to the pond, he started walking. He sent up another quick prayer for his friends, then one for the rest of them. It would take a miracle for them to make it back to the lake house in the dark, unscathed.


	12. Chapter 12

Kurt and Artie had started a fire when their friends moved into the woods. Once it was going they sat around for a few minutes, just staring into it. Kurt couldn't take staying still for very long and jumped up to pack their supplies into the mule and on the 4-wheelers. Artie helped him, and together they made quick work of it.

"It's going to be okay," Artie said after a few moments. "They'll find Finn and Rachel and everything will be okay."

"Do you really believe that?" Kurt asked him, throwing a rock at the water.

Artie threw a rock in as well. "Yeah."

"Well, I hope you're right," Kurt told him. Changing the subject, he said, "What's happening with Tina and Mike?"

"Why are you asking me?" Artie asked him.

Kurt rolled his eyes, looking at his friend. "Please," he said.

Artie sighed. "They broke up. I don't know."

Kurt smiled. "You know."

Artie smiled a little. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. I'll never tell."

"This weekend has been insane." They sat again in silence, watching the sun set. "It's getting dark," he said, watching the fireflies light up the woods.

"Do all of our rides have lights?" Artie asked him.

"I think so," Kurt told him. "I'm honestly not sure."

Hearing their friends coming through the brush, Kurt jumped up. "Hey!" he called, running towards the noise. "Hey, we're over here!"

"Kurt!" Blaine yelled, reaching the edge of the woods and running towards him. Kurt caught him in a hug, watching more of his friends come into the clearing. He didn't see Finn or Rachel.

"Did you not find them?" he asked, horrified.

Blaine pulled back, looking into Kurt's face. "We found them," he said.

"Where are they?"

"Kurt, there was a 4-wheeler wreck," Blaine told him. Kurt backed away, his hand covering his mouth. He shook his head. "I think they're going to be okay, okay? Brittany took them back to the lake house on their 4-wheeler."

"Are they hurt?" Artie asked from behind Kurt.

Blaine hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head. "They'll be fine."

"Are. They. Hurt?" Kurt demanded, emphasizing each word.

"Rachel is banged up a little," Blaine told him, looking at Puck.

"Finn might have a concussion," Puck told him. "He passed out."

Blaine closed his eyes, frustrated. "But I'm sure he'll be okay," he said again, trying to comfort Kurt.

"We have to hurry," Kurt said, moving towards his and Blaine's 4-wheeler. He looked over to where the other Glee Clubbers were gathered. "What are you waiting for?"

"We're trying to figure out who should be in lead," Sam told him.

"I'll do it with Santana behind me," Puck told the group. "No one takes any breaks, no one holds us back. We've got to get back." Everyone agreed.

"Kurt, someone has to ride Brittany's dirt bike," Blaine told him. "Do you think you can follow us on the 4-wheeler?"

If possible, Kurt got even paler. "Sure," he said.

Blaine leaned over and kissed Kurt. "You can do this," he whispered. "Courage."

Kurt nodded, moving toward the 4-wheeler. "I can do this," he muttered to himself.

Since Kurt and Artie had packed everything up, they were able to get started quickly. It was fully dark now and they had to drive slowly. Quinn wrapped her arms around Sam, resting her head on his back. She couldn't stop thinking about Finn and Rachel. When she wasn't thinking about them, she was feeling terrible about how she'd treated Sam earlier. He'd never done anything but be supportive of her, even when she'd hurt him.

No one tried to speak over the sound of the ATV's. They stopped once so Puck and Santana could talk. Tina looked over at Kurt. "You're doing good, Kurt."

"Thanks," Kurt told her. He was surprised at how easily he had taken control of the 4-wheeler; he was much more confident than he'd been a short time earlier.

"Okay, we're almost there," Puck told the group. "Is everyone good to go?" A chorus of "Yeah's" went up and Puck nodded, getting back on the dirt bike.

They drove for at least another hour before Puck yelled. Not being able to hear what was going on, Kurt strained to see the front of the group. Lights. There were lights! A large smile broke out across his face.

Riding into the yard of the lake house, everyone quickly jumped off of their motorcycles. Mike helped Artie out of the mule and into his wheelchair. They all hurriedly got into their vehicles and pulled out of the driveway, Quinn and Sam leading the way.

"Do you know where the hospital is in this town?" Sam asked her.

Quinn nodded, watching the road. "When I was a little girl, I fell off of the deck and twisted my ankle. My daddy rushed me here." She looked over at him. "That was back when he still cared about me."

"I'm sure he still loves you," Sam told her.

"Oh yeah?" she asked, looking back at the road. "He actually told me that I meant nothing to him. I wasn't even born." Steeling herself against the pain that statement had caused her, Quinn stared straight ahead.

"His loss," Sam said, taking her hand. Quinn swallowed, squeezing his hand.

Driving behind them, Puck looked over at Lauren. "Hey, I'm sorry about the way I treated you earlier," he told her gruffly.

"You were upset," Lauren said, shrugging. "But if you do it again, I'm gonna break your nose."

Puck nodded. "Sounds fair," he told her.

"You feeling better now?" she asked him.

"I'm not going to feel better until I know they're okay." They rode in silence the rest of the way to the hospital. Pulling into the parking lot, they looked at each other. Lauren nodded and Puck smiled slightly. They were okay.

Rushing into the hospital, they found Brittany sitting in the waiting room. "Brittany!" Kurt cried, quickly moving to her and pulling her in for a hug. "What's going on?"

"They're in room 121," Brittany told him. "Finn's mom and your dad are in there with them."

Kurt nodded and they all walked together down the hallway of the small hospital. "Are they okay?"

Brittany nodded. "I think they're going to be fine."

Santana put her arm around Brittany. "You did so well, Brit," she said, smiling at her friend. Brittany nodded, leaning her head on Santana's shoulder.

Reaching the room, Kurt opened the door without knocking. "Dad?"

"Kurt!" Burt Hummel said, hugging his son. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kurt told him, looking toward his brother.

"Hey man," Finn said, smiling crookedly from the bed.

Puck's knees grew weak as he realized his best friends were okay. Rachel, who was sitting in the bed with Finn, smiled at them, her lips coated with some sort of medicine. He walked over to the bed and put his arms gently around both of them. "Don't ever do anything like this to me again," he said softly. Finn smiled at him and Puck glared at him. "I mean it, dude."

"Sorry, Noah," Rachel told him. "It's my fault."

"No, Rach, I should have realized you were having trouble driving," Finn said.

Carol, who had gone over to check on the other kids, moved to the foot of the bed. "I'm just so glad you're both not more seriously injured." Her eyes were red and swollen from crying and she looked like she was going to start again at any minute.

"What did the doctor say?" Sam asked.

"I don't have a concussion," Finn told them. "I was just severely dehydrated. They're going to keep me overnight anyway, just as a precaution."

"What about you, Rachel?" Tina asked.

"I had to have stitches in my leg," she said, wincing. "Broadway make up artists are amazing nowadays, though, so I'm not too worried about it." Mercedes snorted. Ignoring her, Rachel touched her lips. "My face is sunburned, as you can probably tell," she said softly. "I'm sure my lips look horrible."

Finn pulled her back into his chest. "You look beautiful," he whispered.

"We'll step outside for a moment, let you kids talk," Burt said, motioning for Carol to come with him.

"I was so scared," Kurt told them, sitting at the edge of the bed. "I just knew we were going to get here and you guys be in comas or something." Though his tone was joking, Finn could tell by his eyes that he wasn't.

"We're fine," he told his brother. "I promise."

"Brittany was amazing," Rachel told them. "Finn was still unconscious when we got to the lake house, but Brittany managed to get him in his truck anyway. She's Superwoman."

"I have to lift people all of the time," Brittany said.

"How long do you have to stay?" Blaine asked them.

"I told Rachel that she should go back to the lake house with you guys tonight," Finn said.

"I'm not leaving him," she said firmly.

"I'll be released early in the morning," Finn said. "We'll come straight back to the lake house then."

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Quinn told them. "I'm so sorry."

"Quinn, this weekend has been amazing. The next couple of days are going to be just as great. None of this is your fault at all," Rachel told her.

"Where are your dads Rachel?" Santana asked her.

"They're actually out of the country," Rachel told her. "When I called and told them about the wreck they wanted to fly home." She looked at Finn. "I had to have Carol talk to them and convince them I'm fine and that they didn't need to."

"Is she okay?" Blaine asked.

"I imagine it's upsetting to receive a phone call telling you that your son was involved in a 4-wheeler wreck and unconscious," Kurt said. Blaine rubbed his back.

"Yeah, she's been kind of a mess," Finn said.

The group hung around for a little while, each person talking to Finn and Rachel separately. "Okay," Mercedes said after a while. "I think it's time for us to go and let them get some rest."

Everyone said their goodbyes and left the room until Kurt and Puck were the only ones left. Puck had asked Lauren to ride back with Sam and Quinn so that he could talk to Finn and Rachel, and Blaine was waiting with Burt and Carol for Kurt. Kurt hugged them separately, kissing Rachel on the forehead. "You two have become two of the most important people in my life," he told them, taking a breath. "I don't know that I'll ever get over the feeling I had when I thought I might lose you."

"I love you, man," Finn told his brother. Rachel nodded, saying, "Me too."

"You both owe me for this," he warned them. They groaned and Kurt smiled, brushing a tear off of his face as he left the room.

Puck waiting until the door closed before he turned to look at them. "What the fuck happened?" he asked.

"We let Rachel drive," Finn said, winking at his friend.

"Finn!" Rachel cried.

Finn laughed. "I hadn't thought about how heavy the 4-wheeler would be for Rachel. It honestly never even occurred to me." Puck nodded. It hadn't occurred to him either. "By the time that deer ran out in front of us, it was all she could do to hold in the gas." He grimaced. "She didn't have enough strength left to turn us and we hit a tree, knocking one of those other trees over as well."

"If I hadn't been so stubborn and just admitted that it was too heavy for me, none of this would have happened," Rachel admitted sadly.

Finn rubbed her back. "We shouldn't have been teasing you."

"What did the doctors say about that crack in your skull?" Puck asked them.

"They said that I must have an extremely hard head," Finn replied.

"I could have told them that," Rachel said, rolling her eyes.

Puck sat in the chair, putting his head in his hands. Rachel got up from the bed and walked over to him. "Noah?" she said softly, touching his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Puck caught her hand, leaning back in the seat to look at them. "I was so happy to hear Finn's voice in the woods," he told them. "And then I realized you weren't with him, Rachel, and I was scared to death again." Rachel nodded. "I don't let people in, you know? Nothing good ever comes from it."

"That's not true," Finn told him. "You get friends. You get people you can count on."

"That's what you two are. You're my friends. You're the first two people in my life, besides my mother, that I can count on. Because of you, I thought that maybe letting people in would be a good thing." Rachel nodded, squeezing his hand. "It's not," he said, looking at her and swallowing. "I was terrified. I don't think that I've ever been so scared in my life."

"It's okay, Noah," Rachel said, smiling softly at him.

"If you're going to love someone, there's always the chance that you're going to get hurt," Finn told him. "But it's worth it."

Puck shook his head. "I was thinking the whole way over here that it _wasn't _worth it. That after I made sure you two were okay, I was done. Then I walk in here and see you…" He cleared his throat. "I've decided that you guys aren't going to get rid of me that easily."

Rachel smiled brightly. "Finn, isn't that cute?" she said, looking at her boyfriend. "He thought he had a choice."

Both men laughed. "You know how Rachel is, man," Finn told him. "You're special to her; she'll never let you go. Same goes for me."

Puck nodded, the tight feeling in his chest easing. "We'll never speak of this touching moment again," he said firmly.

Rachel winked at him, walking back to the bed. "We'll see."

"What's the deal with Artie and Tina?" Finn asked the other man.

"Who the hell knows, man?" Puck snorted. "You know how Glee Club is, swapping boyfriends and girlfriends all of the time." He wagged his eyes at Rachel. "Is it almost time for a little more Puckelberry lovin'?"

"Noah!" Rachel said, horrified, throwing one of Finn's pillows at him.

"I'm just joking, shit," Puck said, laughing as he ducked.

"Rachel has everyone's romantic pairings all lined up," Finn told his friend.

"Yeah?" Puck said, sitting back. "Do tell, Berry."

"Well," Rachel said, sitting straight up and smiling, "it's quite obvious. Mercedes and Mike are going to get together."

"What about Guppy Lips?" Puck asked her.

"He'll be with Quinn, of course," Rachel said, rolling her eyes at his apparent obliviousness.

Puck looked at Finn who also rolled his eyes. "I picked up on that, actually," he told her.

"Oh. Well good. Anyway, that leaves Artie with Tina; we know they make a lovely pair," Rachel continued.

"What about Santana and Brittany?"

Rachel frowned worrying her bottom lip before remembering how much it hurt. "Ouch!" she complained. Sighing, she said, "I really don't think they're going to end up together." She looked at Finn, then back at Puck. "Honestly? I think Brittany and Artie made the most sense out of any pairing- other than our own-" she said, again looking at Finn. "But that's over. I think it will take a while for Brittany to decide what she wants, though, and Santana is ready. She'll find someone sooner than Brittany is ready."

"And me and Lauren?" he asked her, curious.

"Oh Noah," she said, looking at him. "You guys are doomed."

Puck laughed before he could help himself. "Okay," he said after a moment. "So Santana, Brittany, Lauren and I are just destined to be single?"

"Of course not," Rachel said. "You guys just haven't found your partners yet."

"I think she may have bumped her head, too," Finn told his friend.

Puck looked at them. "Nah, bro, I think she's right," he said, getting up. "We've got two more days here," he told them. "After that, our "extended weekend" is over and it's back to the real world and our senior year." He walked over and kissed Rachel on the head, bumping fists with Finn. "Who knows what's going to happen?" he said, winking and walking out of the room.

"I know what's going to happen," Finn said softly, brushing Rachel's hair off of her shoulder. "We're going to lead the Glee Club to a National Championship. We're going to go to Halloween parties and you and your dads will come over for Thanksgiving dinner. For Christmas, you're going to let me have a tree and I'm going to do your…whatever it is you Jewish people do." Rachel laughed softly and Finn smiled, looking into her eyes. "We'll kiss each other on New Years Eve. On Valentines Day I'll come up with some awesome present that's probably going to take me until then to decide on. You're going to be my date for our Senior Prom, and I'm going to pick you up in a limo. We're going to throw our hats together at Graduation, and you're going to be in all of my pictures."

Rachel felt tears well up in her eyes. "It sounds perfect," she told him.

"It's going to _be _perfect," he told her, his lips brushing her cheek. "You deserve perfect, Rach. I want to be that perfect for you."

"You are that perfect for me, Finn," she promised, eyes shining.

"And when high school is over," he told her, holding her hand, "I'm going to come to New York with you."

At that, tears began streaming down her face. "Really?" she whispered.

Finn smiled his crooked smile. "Really."

At the other side of the hospital door listening to their conversation, Carol turned to Burt, crying herself. Burt hugged her to him, smiling. "That kid is smooth," he said.

Carol laughed through her tears, hugging him tightly. "I taught him everything he knows," she said.


	13. Chapter 13

The Glee Clubbers all walked slowly into the lake house. "I have never been so exhausted in my life," Mercedes said.

"I second that," Santana said, pulling her hair out of the ponytail it had been in all day. "I need a shower, ASAP," she said, rubbing her scalp with her fingers.

Lauren sat on the couch in the living room. "I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to get up off of this couch," she said.

Quinn walked in behind them. "You guys know where the refrigerator, showers and beds are," she told them. "I'm too tired to be a hostess tonight." She smiled at them. "I'm really glad you're all here, though."

Brittany hugged Quinn, smiling. "Thanks," she said simply.

Quinn walked up the stairs, calling over her shoulder, "I'm going to shower and pass out. Good night!"

A chorus of "Good nights" followed her to her room. She shut the door and leaned against it, sighing. This day…damn. She straightened up and walked toward the bed, debating on whether or not she should shower now or just wait until in the morning.

A knock on the door had her rolling her eyes. Opening the door, she was ready to verbally spank someone.

"Hey," Sam said, smiling nervously.

"Hey," Quinn said softly, looking at him.

"I, uh…I was hoping we could talk?"

Quinn watched him for a moment, and then opened the door wider, letting him into her room.

Sam checked the place out, smiling at a picture of her and her older sister making goofy faces. "Nice room."

"This has always been my room," she told him. "That's my older sister, Daphne."

"She's pretty," Sam said.

"She always has been," Quinn said quietly.

Sam thought briefly about what Puck had told him; that he should just wait until Quinn made the move. Discarding that idea, he turned and gathered her into his arms, kissing her.

Quinn tensed, her hands on his chest to push him away. The warmth of his lips on hers changed her mind, and she found that her hands were curled into his shirt, pulling him closer to her.

Sam pulled back, looking into her eyes. "I'm not sorry about that," he said, almost defiantly.

Quinn laughed, surprising them both. "I'm not either," she told him.

Sam sat on the edge of her bed, rubbing his face with his hands. "It's been a rough day," he said. He looked at her.

Quinn sat beside him. "I'm sorry for being so hateful earlier," she told him. She sighed. "You were right. I was upset."

"It's okay. We all were."

"It's not okay, Sam," she said, frustrated. "Stop making excuses for me!"

"I'm not," he said. Blowing out a breath, he shook his head. "Maybe I am."

"Everyone does. They always have. Why do people let me get away with stuff?" She looked at him. "I am _not _a nice person."

Sam took her hand. "If you're so awful, why do so many people care about you?"

"I don't know," Quinn said quietly. "I honestly don't know."

"I know," he told her. "It's in your eyes." His hand came up to cup her face, his thumb rubbing her cheek lightly. "Even at your worst- and I've seen you close- there's something sad in your eyes. Something that tells other people that your heart really isn't as cold as you pretend it is."

Quinn leaned her head into his hand. "Why do you think I'm pretending?"

"Well," he said, lowering his head so that his lips brushed hers softly, "I think your pretending because of your eyes, like I said. And because of your laugh. And because of the way you sing with me."

"We haven't sung together lately," she reminded him. "And it's really late." She stood up, smiling at him.

Sam stood up as well, kissing her tenderly. He brushed her bangs out of her eyes, softly singing, "_I really hate to let this moment go,_

_touching your skin and your hair falling slow,__  
><em>_When a goodbye kiss, feels like this,_

_Don't you wanna stay here a little while,__  
><em>_Don't you wanna hold each other tight,__  
><em>_Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight,__  
><em>_Don't you wanna stay here a little while,__  
><em>_We can make forever feel this way,__  
><em>_Don't you wanna stay_."

Quinn smiled at him. "_Let's take it slow I don't want to move to fast,__  
><em>_I Don't wanna just make love, I wanna make love last._

_Don't you wanna stay here a little while,__  
><em>_Don't you wanna hold each other tight,__  
><em>_Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight,_

_Don't you wanna stay here a little while,__  
><em>_We can make forever feel this way,__  
><em>_Don't you wanna stay_," she sang to him.

Pulling her closer, they sang together, "_Don't you wanna stay here a little while,__  
><em>_Don't you wanna hold each other tight,__  
><em>_Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight,__  
><em>_Don't you wanna stay here a little while,__  
><em>_We can make forever feel this way,__  
><em>_Don't you wanna stay_."

"Stay," Quinn whispered to him.

Sam nodded, smiling.

"I'm not…" she paused. "I mean, we're not going to…"

Sam laughed and kissed her, quieting her. "I'm not asking for anything more than just to spend the night holding you, Quinn."

"Really?" she asked, smiling.

"Really."

"Thank you, Sam," she said, pulling him closer, hugging him.

"For what?" He asked, resting his chin on the top of her head and holding her.

"For seeing the real me," she told him. "And for forgiving me for the awful things I've done."

"I love you," he said simply.

Her head shot up and she stared at him. "What did you say?"

Looking into her eyes, he said, "I love you, Quinn. I never stopped."

Eyes quickly filling with tears, Quinn kissed him. "I love you, too," she told him, smiling through the tears. "Sam, I love you too."

"I'm glad we got that out of the way," he told her, laughing.

Downstairs, Mike found Artie in the kitchen, staring forlornly at the cabinets over the stove. "What's up, man?"

Artie sighed. "My Doritos are up there," he said.

Mike moved Artie back a little and opened the cabinet, getting the chips. "Here you go." He turned to leave.

"Mike," Artie called, stopping him.

"Yeah?"

Artie looked down, then back up at him. "I'm still in love with Tina," he told his friend.

"I figured that," Mike told him. "Why are you telling me?"

"I can't stop thinking about what happened with Finn and Rachel. We could have lost them." Artie frowned. "They could have lost each other."

Mike thought of Mercedes and nodded. "You want to be with Tina because we never know how much time we really have."

Artie nodded. "I know that I love her and I think she cares about me. I know you two just broke up…" Artie trailed off.

"Tina and I had been together for a long time," Mike told him. "But we haven't been close for a while now. For the past two months we've been more friends than anything." He put his hand on Artie's shoulder. "As her friend and as someone that still loves her, I want her to be happy. If you're what makes her happy, then you should be with her."

Artie nodded his head, clearing his throat. "Thanks, man."

Mike walked out of the kitchen, finding Tina standing in the hallway, listening. "Did you mean that?" she asked him. "What you said to Artie?"

Mike looked at her. He still cared about her so much, but he knew she was right that their relationship had changed. "I meant it," he told her, smiling.

"I want you to be happy too, Mike," she told him. "And if Mercedes is what makes you happy, you should go for it."

"Will Artie make you happy?" he asked her.

"I think so," Tina told him, smiling. "We're both so different now." She shrugged. "I care about him a lot."

Mike shook his head. "How is any of this happening?"

"This weekend has just been insane," Tina told him.

Mike pulled her close for a hug. "It has," he agreed. "Are you going to talk to Artie?"

Tina shook her head. "I think I'm just going to bed tonight. I'm too exhausted to make any sense."

Mike watched her for a moment, thinking about all of the good times they'd had. "Good night, Tina," he said, kissing her on the forehead.

"Good night, Mike," Tina said, walking on down the hallway towards her bedroom.

Mike watched her walk away, thinking about what Artie had said. He was right; no one knew how much time they had. Thinking hard, he walked down the hallway and knocked on a door.

"Mike?" Mercedes asked, opening the door and rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?"

Mike leaned down and kissed her. Startled, Mercedes didn't kiss him back at first. When she realized what was going on, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer. Parting, she stared at him. "What was that for?"

"I just wanted you to know that I care about you," Mike told her.

Mercedes heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. "I care about you too," she said, smiling widely.

Mike kissed her again, and then stepped away from her. "Good night, Mercedes."

"Good night, Mike," Mercedes said, watching him back down the hallway. "I'll be seeing _you _in the morning." Mike laughed and turned around, walking to his room.

Mercedes shut her door, leaning back against it. She'd thought Sam was cute and she'd really enjoyed spending time with him, but she'd known his heart wasn't really in the relationship from the start; that was why she didn't want everyone to know they were dating. But with Mike, just talking to him caused her heart to race. She felt something with Mike that she'd never felt before in her life; physical attraction. It was scary…and it was about damn time.


	14. Chapter 14

Finn woke up with Rachel's head on his shoulder, his right arm numb. He knew that he needed to move it, but he really didn't want to disturb her. She had worn a huge smile all night last night, but Finn knew that the wreck had bothered her more than she'd let on. He looked around the dark room, trying to see the clock to figure out what time it was.

Burt and Carol had finally agreed to go back to Lima, though it had taken quite a bit of convincing. Rachel had promised Carol that she would watch Finn and not let him do too much the next couple of days. Carol had finally relented and left after Rachel promised they'd call her twice a day to let her know they were okay.

"Watch over her, Finn," Carol had whispered to him as she'd kissed him goodbye.

"Always," Finn told his mom. She'd smiled and nodded, walking over to take Burt's hand and leave.

"They're so happy," Rachel had said, watching them. She looked at Finn and smiled. "Kurt is _such _a good matchmaker."

Finn made a noise of agreement, glad to finally be alone with her. They had laid on the bed, talking and laughing at a stupid reality show on the TV. After a while, Rachel had drifted off to sleep and Finn had just laid in the bed, looking at her. Sounds creepy, right? But any time he thought about how close he had come to losing her, he got sick. Not just "oh dear, that would have sucked" sick, but "I think I'm going to throw up" sick. It physically hurt him to think about Rachel being injured, or sick, or…well, you know. He was afraid that he'd close his eyes and she'd disappear.

"Mmm," Rachel said, snuggling closer to his body in her sleep and breaking into his thoughts. Finn looked down at her. She really was amazing. Her lips had started to heal and he couldn't wait until he could kiss them again. Her leg looked angry and red where her stitches were, and Finn knew that if she hadn't been wearing jeans the wound would have been much worse. Because of her terror, Rachel hadn't even felt the deep cut until they got to the hospital and a nurse realized her pants were soaked in blood. On the outside of her right thigh, Finn knew that she worried people would make a big deal out of the scar it was going to leave. Finn sent up a silent prayer that it wouldn't stop her from wearing her short skirts.

"What are you thinking about?" Rachel asked him softly, looking at him.

"I thought you were asleep?"

"I was," she grumbled. "Your thinking woke me up."

Finn's chest shook with laughter. "How is that possible?"

Rachel smiled at him. "It just is." She moved her head to his chest and laid there, quiet.

Moving his arm, cringing a little when the feeling started moving back into it, he asked her, "What are you doing?"

"Listening to your heart," she told him. "It's so strong."

Finn played with her hair. "Did you sleep well?"

Rachel sighed. "I guess."

"Hey," Finn said, hearing something in her voice. "Rachel, look at me."

"No," she said.

"Rachel," Finn said, sighing, "look at me."

Rachel blew out a breath and rose, looking at him. In the soft green glow of one of the monitors in the room, he could see that her face was wet with tears. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"You scared me," she told him. "When you fell, I thought I'd lost you." She closed her eyes. "I couldn't even reach you."

"We're okay, Rachel," he said, lifting her up so that she was lying completely on top of him, then wrapping his arms around her. "We made it and we're going to be fine."

Rachel buried her face in her chest. "I know," she said, crying. "But I just can't stop feeling scared."

Finn realized that this was probably what his mom had been talking about. He honestly didn't know what to do. Rachel was hurting and Finn had absolutely no idea how to make her feel better, so he just held her, rubbing her back. Before he thought about what he was doing, he started singing.

"_I don't wanna see you ever sad__  
><em>_And everything that I've got you can have__  
><em>_When it's all too much__  
><em>_You need some human touch__  
><em>_To see that it's really not so bad__  
><em>_Did you call on every saint you know__  
><em>_But still you feel like you're on your own__  
><em>_Can you see through your tears__  
><em>_I will always be here__  
><em>_And you're not out there all alone_

_Hold On, 'til you feel a little stronger__  
><em>_Hold On to me__  
><em>_Hold On, everything's gonna be alright__  
><em>_Just Hold On to me tonight__  
><em>_Anything that hurts you, hurts me too__  
><em>_I'm not gonna let your world turn blue__  
><em>_Will you take my hand__  
><em>_And feel how close I am__  
><em>_There ain't nothin' I won't do for you_

_I know the world__  
><em>_Can drive you to your knees__  
><em>_But when you need to cry, baby__  
><em>_Cry to me_

_Hold On, 'til you feel a little stronger__  
><em>_Hold On to me__  
><em>_Hold On, everything's gonna be alright__  
><em>_Just Hold On to me tonight_."

Rachel looked at him. "That was beautiful," she whispered. "I've never heard it before."

Finn kissed her forehead. "My mom used to be obsessed with this Jamie Walters guy. That's one of his songs that she would play a lot when I was younger."

"I'm sorry I'm such a mess," Rachel said.

"I've got you," Finn told her, smiling crookedly. "You can cry if you need to. We can talk if you need to. I've got you," he repeated.

Rachel closed her eyes and rested her head back on his chest. "It's scary," she told him.

"What is?" he asked her, running his fingers through her hair.

"How much I love you."

Finn thought about that for a moment. "It scares me, too."

Rachel looked at him. "How much I love you scares you?" she said, brows raised.

Finn chuckled. "No. It scares me how much _I_ love _you_."

Rachel smiled at him. "Really?"

"Really," he said, looked at her. "Everyone says that the love you have in high school doesn't last."

"Santana repeats that daily," Rachel agreed. "But I think she's still just trying to get over Brittany."

"This is going to last," he told her quietly. "You and me? This is the one in a million kind of love that all of those love songs we sing in Glee Club are talking about."

The quiet confidence in his voice moved her. "You're really coming to New York with me?"

"I will spend my entire senior year working hard. I'm going to college in New York. I won't accept anything else."

"But what if you don't get in anywhere?" Rachel said, voicing her greatest fear.

"I'll go to New York anyway," he told her. "I can get in somewhere, maybe even a junior college."

"Finn, you'd be selling yourself short," Rachel told him. "A scholarship to Ohio State would be such a great opportunity for you."

"But I wouldn't be with you, Rachel." He tilted her chin up so that she was looking at him. "I'm not going to pretend that you can go to New York and I can stay in Ohio and it will work out. You'll be busy, I'll be busy…it just won't work, Rach."

"So you think I'm going to let you give up your future for me?" Rachel asked, sitting up to look down at him.

"You _are _my future, Rachel," he said, sitting up as well.

"Finn, you're not being reasonable."

"Yes I am," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "If I get a football scholarship I'll probably still be second string. I'll never get to play. You and I both know that I'm not good enough to go pro."

"Yes you are," Rachel said, interrupting him.

Finn crooked his eyebrow at her and continued. "Going to someplace like Ohio State is going to give me a good education, I agree. But I can get a good education at any of the schools in New York." He reached for her hand. "And I'll be with you."

"Your mother would die," Rachel told him.

"My mother realizes, more than anyone, that love can be ripped away from you at any time." He looked into her eyes. "I'm not losing you."

Rachel leaned over and kissed him lightly, ignoring the slight pain it caused her. "Kurt is going to be so happy," she told him, smiling.

"Not if Blaine doesn't come as well," Finn said, frowning.

Rachel sighed. "I can understand Blaine having different dreams. Not everyone wants to be a Broadway star. But it will really hurt Kurt if they don't end up together."

"I've talked to Kurt about it and he said that one day Blaine will want to go, another day he won't. He's so confused about everything," Finn told her. "They're just going to take it day by day, and enjoy the time they have together."

"That's what I thought I was going to have to do, too, and it killed me," Rachel admitted. "To love you so much but know that eventually we'd be apart? It was awful."

Finn kissed her cheek. "It's something you don't have to worry about, babe," he told her. "Ever again. Where you go, I go."

Rachel looked at him. "That's the most amazing thing I've ever heard," she told him.

"So you'll have me?" Finn asked lightly, though in truth he had been a bit worried.

"Forever, Finn," Rachel said, snuggling against his chest. "We'll start with forever and go from there."

Finn smiled in the darkness.


	15. Chapter 15

The doctor came early in the morning and checked them both out, releasing Finn. Rachel's lips were still sore, but the medicine the doctor had used on them helped immensely. Both were sunburned and tired, but the doctor assured them they'd be fine.

Brittany rode back to the lake house with Santana, Kurt and Blaine, so Finn's truck was still in the parking lot waiting for them. They walked toward it slowly, both extremely grateful that Carol had bought them new clothes at the Family Dollar. They'd thrown their bloody clothes away, glad to be rid of the reminder.

"Want to drive?" Finn asked her.

"No thank you," Rachel told him. Finn laughed and opened the passenger door for her, helping her into the vehicle.

Fastening her seat belt, he held her face in his hands and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I love you," he told her.

Rachel smiled at him. "I love you, too."

They rode through the small town with the windows down. Finn kept glancing over at the light blue sundress his mom had picked out for Rachel. She looked gorgeous and it was hard for him to concentrate on the road. He turned on the radio, then let her try to find a good song. Most of the stations that came in played only country music. Rachel loved all different kinds of music, and since living with Burt Finn had gained an appreciation for it as well. He just didn't tell anyone.

When they arrived at the lake house, all of the 4-wheelers and dirt bikes had been put up. Finn walked around and opened the door for Rachel, helping her out of the truck. They held hands as they walked up the path to the lake house. "This place is amazing," Rachel said, looking out towards the lake.

Finn nodded, agreeing. When he reached for the front door, Tina opened it from the inside. "Hey!" she said, smiling. "You guys are here!" She hugged Rachel, then Finn. "Artie, they're here!"

"Hey guys," Artie said, smiling at them.

Rachel kissed Artie on the forehead. "Hey Artie." She looked at them. "Were you guys heading out?"

"Yeah, we're going to go down by the dock and skip rocks," Tina told them. "Do you guys need anything?"

"No, we're good," Finn told her. He and Rachel watched Tina and Artie make their way out of the house and down the path toward the dock.

"I _told_ you!" Rachel said excitedly.

"They're just walking together, Rach," Finn said. He looked at Artie. "Well, you know what I mean."

They walked into the kitchen and found Mike and Mercedes sitting together at the island, laughing. "Hey…" Rachel said, smiling knowingly at Finn. "What are you guys up to?"  
>"Rachel! Finn!" Mercedes cried, jumping up and hugging them both. "I am so glad you're both okay," Mercedes told them, still holding Rachel. Pulling back, she studied Rachel's face. "<em>Are<em> you okay, Little Diva?"

"I'm fine," Rachel told her. "I'm really sorry for worrying you guys."

"I'm glad you're okay too," Mike told them. Finn looked at him questioningly and Mike winked at him.

"Where is everybody else?" Rachel asked.

"No one else is up yet," Mike told her. "Artie and Tina just left the house, I think."

"Yeah, we saw them," Finn said slowly.

"So," Rachel said, "what's going on?"

"Rach," Finn whispered, poking her.

"What?" Rachel asked. "I'm just wondering. We're gone for the night and when we come back Tina and Artie are going off alone and you and Mike are down here together."

"And Quinn and Sam spent the night in her room," Mike added.

Rachel squealed. "No!" she said, laughing. She looked at Finn. "I so told you so. I _so _did."

Finn smiled at her excitement. "You did."

Mercedes sat down shaking her head. "I'm not sure what's going on," she told them. "But I do know that when we realized how uncertain life is," she trailed off and looked at Mike. "You just want to make the most of what time you do have."

Finn wrapped his arm around Rachel, resting his chin on top of her head. "That's what I've been telling her," he said.

"What are the plans for today?" Rachel asked them.

"I think we're all just going to hang out today," Mike told them.

"Good," Finn said. "I don't think I can take much more excitement."

"Have you guys eaten breakfast yet?" Mercedes asked them. "I can make you something."

"No, we're fine, thanks," Rachel told her. "We ate at the hospital."

"Mike and I are planning on going swimming later," Mercedes told them. "You guys want to come?"

"Maybe," Rachel said. "I think we're just going to go to our room for a little bit, lay on a real bed."

"Let us know if you need anything," Mike told them. "We're all really glad you guys are okay."

"Thanks, man," Finn told him. He took Rachel's hand and they started walking to their room. "Is it just me, or has Mike talked more in the past weekend than in the last two years?"

"Things are changing," Rachel told him.

"I guess you were right," he said.

"Aren't I always?" she said sweetly.

Finn laughed. "No."

Rachel rolled her eyes, taking his hand and pulling him up the steps. "Should we stop and talk to Kurt?"

Finn thought about it for a moment. "Nah, we'll see him when we come down later."

"Quinn?" Rachel asked.

"Someone will tell her we're back."

"'Kay," she said, reaching their room and going in. She lay on the bed, sighing. "That hospital bed was _not _comfortable." Finn stood above her, watching her. "What?"

"You're perfect," he told her.

Rachel smiled at him. "Not even close," she told him.

"Oh no," he told her. "You are." He lightly ran his hand over her legs, down to her feet. "Even your feet are perfect."

"Finn," she said, blushing.

His hand moved back up her leg to the bandage on her thigh. Rachel bit her lip and moved the dress hem to cover the bandage. "I'm not perfect," she told him quietly.

Finn moved her hand, uncovering the bandage. "If it's a part of you, Rach, it's perfect."

Rachel took his hand, pulling him down to the bed with her. He ran his hand down her arm, holding her hand. She lifted her head to rest it on his shoulder, resting their hands on his chest. "When school starts, things will be different."

"I don't know about that," he told her. "The Glee Club has never been as close as we are now. This time, no matter what any of us are going through, we're not going to be alone. I think that will make a big difference."

Rachel nodded, thinking. "It hardly seems real," she admitted after a while. "I've spent so long being hated by virtually everyone. To actually have friends and be in love with someone who loves me back…" she sighed. "It's like a dream come true."

"If I lead the football team to another championship, I'll have a better chance at getting into a school in New York."

Rachel nodded. "You can do it," she told him, kissing his jaw. "You, Noah, Sam, Mike, Artie…you guys are going to be amazing this year. I was talking to Blaine and Kurt and they're both thinking about trying out. Kurt figures you guys will still need a kicker, and Blaine played football for years at his old school."

Finn shook his head. "Maybe if half of our team is in the Glee Club we won't have so many problems."

"Well, David won't be causing you any more problems," Rachel reminded him. "And I think that the other guys will follow his lead."

Finn groaned. "How do people like that have others following their lead?" he asked, frustrated. "Why can't people just be decent?"

"That's just the way it is," Rachel said simply. "I've been wondering that same thing my whole life." She was quiet for a moment. "People listen to Quinn, no matter what she says. In the past, it was never good things." Finn looked at her. "It always hurt me to know that no matter what I was saying, no one cared."

"I've always cared, Rach," Finn told her. "I just had a hard time showing it in the beginning."

She looked at him. "I knew you cared, Finn. I also knew that other things were more important." He started to say something and she shook her head. "I know it's not like that now, but you can't change the past."

"I wish I could," he told her softly. "I'd be there for you, always."

"If you changed anything that happened in the past, there's the chance that we wouldn't be right here right now. And I don't know about you," she said, smiling at him, "but there's no place I'd rather be."

"I can think of somewhere I'd rather be right now," he told her, his eyes darkening and his tone growing husky.

"Really?" Rachel said, smiling slightly. "Where?"

Finn released her hand and trailed it down her body until it reached the hem of her dress. Lightly touching her skin with his fingertips, he slipped his hand under the hem of the dress and moved it up her leg. Rachel sighed, smiling, and moved her leg over his. "I want you," he whispered to her.

"I'm all yours," she told him, kissing his jaw lightly, mindful of her lips.

Finn sat up, pulling his shirt off. Rachel gasped at the scrapes on his torso. "Oh, Finn," she said, upset. "I'm so sorry."

Finn shook his head. "It's not your fault," he told her.

Rachel got up on her knees, pushing him back on the bed. Straddling him, she leaned over and kissed the marks. Making her way across his chest and down his stomach, she undid his pants and pulled them off. She kissed her way back up his body, laughing when he pulled her up to him.

Finn nuzzled her shoulder. "Can I kiss you?" he asked her. "Please?" Rachel nodded. He looked into her eyes, slowly moving his lips to hers. He brushed his lips over them and she felt no pain. Heat shot through her body and she deepened the kiss.

He lifted the dress over her head, cringing at the bruises and scrapes she had. "Baby," he said sadly, lightly running his hands over them.

"It's okay," she told him, kissing him again.

Finn rose, gently moving Rachel onto her back. "It's not okay," he told her, looking into her eyes. He kissed her jaw, and then trailed kisses down her neck and chest. He unsnapped her bra and removed it. Finn explored her body with his mouth, every kiss spreading heat through her. Rachel arched her hips, and then wrapped her legs around him.

Finn brought his mouth down on hers as he slid inside her. Moving slowly, he pulled his head back so he could watch her face. Rachel could feel the heat growing inside of her and she looked into Finn's eyes, knowing that he felt the same thing. "I love you," she told him.

He smiled crookedly, kissing her. "I love you, too," he told her. Rachel closed her eyes and arched her back, digging her nails into his shoulders. Finn moved faster, his eyes never leaving her face.

Rachel felt the slow burn spread through her body moments before waves of heat crashed around her. Moaning his name, her body came off of the bed as she rode the waves. Watching her, Finn's body tightened as he found his own release. He lowered himself on top of Rachel, his arms holding most of his weight but their bodies still touching at every point. Brushing her hair from her forehead, he kissed her tenderly.

Rachel looked up at the man that she loved more than anything and wondered how she could have ever considered moving without him. She took his hand, placing it over her heart. "Can you feel that?"

"It's beating really fast," he said, unintentionally repeating something he'd told her a long time ago.

She smiled, nodding. "For you," she whispered, kissing him.


	16. Chapter 16

"Berry!" Santana yelled, beating on the bedroom door. "I'm coming in!"

"No!" Rachel cried from inside the room, horrified.

Santana laughed wickedly and opened the door, catching Rachel standing by the bed holding the sheet up to her body and Finn standing behind her, an embarrassed look on his face. "First rule of a sexual relationship," she said, laughing. "Always lock the door."

"Out, Santana!" Rachel begged.

Santana turned around. "Some of us girls are going into town to pick up a few things. You want to come with us?"

Rachel quickly pulled the blue dress over her head. "I need to take a quick shower, would that be okay?"

"Sure," Santana said. "We're not in a hurry." She turned around quickly as Finn was buttoning his pants. "Don't take all day though," she told them, winking at them knowingly. She walked out of the room and shut the door behind her, laughing when she heard the lock being turned. "Amateurs."

"Is she coming?" Quinn asked as she passed Santana in the hallway.

"Not right now, but she was earlier."

"Santana," Quinn groaned, walking down the steps. "Do you always have to be so crude?"

"Yes," Santana told her, following her down the steps.

"Is Rachel coming into town with us?" Quinn asked, clarifying.

"Yeah," Santana told her. "I can't pry Tina away from Artie and I haven't seen Mercedes. Brit and Puck are going over the 4-wheelers. It's going to be me, you, Lauren and Berry."

"Sounds like fun," Quinn said, laughing at Santana's snort.

"I'm ready," Lauren said when they ran into her in the living room.

"We're waiting on Rachel," Quinn told her.

"Whatever," Lauren said, sitting down on the sofa and turning on the TV.

"What's going on with you, Lauren?" Quinn asked, sitting beside the woman.

"What are you talking about?"

"You've seemed quiet this weekend," Quinn told her.

"I have a lot on my mind," Lauren told them.

"Puck?" Santana asked her.

Lauren snorted. "Nah," she said. "I've been having some health issues," she told them.

"Like what?"

"Well, in case you didn't notice," Lauren said a bit sarcastically, "I'm a big girl."

"Didn't notice," Santana said, rolling her eyes.

"Ignore Santana," Quinn told her.

"Anyway," Lauren told them, "the doctor told me that there's a good chance I'm diabetic." She frowned. "I wanted to wait until after this weekend to have the tests ran."

"That sucks," Santana said, frowning as well. "Is there anything you can do to…I don't know, make it stop?"

Lauren sighed. "Even if I'm only borderline diabetic, it changes everything."

"That sucks," Santana said again. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm a lot more active than people think," Lauren told them. "I know you probably look at me and think that I do nothing but sit around and eat all the time." Santana nodded and Quinn shot her a death glare. "I don't. I'm a wrestler. I lift weights, I jump rope, I get my exercise on."

"It makes sense," Quinn told her. "So what are you going to do now?"

"I'll just have to start watching what I eat and working harder, I guess." She looked at the two girls in front of her. "I know that a lot of girls want to look like you two. I don't." She shrugged. "I know I'm big. I know that people make fun of me for it. But I actually _like _who I am. I can hold my own against pretty much anyone. I don't like feeling weak, and that's how this makes me feel."

Quinn rubbed Lauren's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lauren. I really am. If you need any help, just ask."

"It sucks," Lauren said.

"Hey," Rachel said from the doorway. "I'm ready," she told them as she finished putting her wet hair into a clip.

"That was a quick shower," Santana said. "I figured you and Finnocence would be going for round two right now."

"Can it, Satan," Rachel told her. "Are you guys ready?"

"Yeah," Quinn said, standing up. "Lauren?"

"I've just been waiting on you," Lauren said.

Since Quinn was driving, they all got into her car. "What about Tina and Mercedes or Brittany?" Rachel asked as Quinn pulled out.

"Busy," Santana told her.

"How are you feeling?" Quinn asked Rachel.

"A little sore," Rachel said, ignoring Santana's wagging eyebrows, "but I'm going to be fine. Since we're going to be in town, I want to find some bandages that will cover my stitches so I can swim later."

"So," Santana said to Quinn, realizing that she wasn't going to be able to bait Rachel, "what's going on with you and Mister Mouth?"

Quinn blushed. "Nothing," she said.

"Mike told us that Sam spent the night in your room last night," Rachel told Quinn.

"Oh my gosh!" Quinn said, laughing. "Is nothing sacred?"

"Please, girl, this is the Glee Club we're talking about," Lauren said.

"So what's up?" Santana asked.

"I love him," she finally said simply.

"Awwwww," Rachel said. Quinn grinned.

"This whole weekend is disgusting," Santana moaned. "Everyone loves everyone."

"Yeah, it's giving me hives," Lauren said.

Santana looked at her. "Ew."

"It's all coming together," Rachel said, smiling. "Mike and Mercedes, Tina and Artie, Quinn and Sam."

"What about me?" Santana and Lauren said in unison.

"We'll have to figure something out for you two," Rachel said. "Santana, you need someone who's comfortable with who she is, and Lauren, you need someone with a softer side to balance you out. I'll be on the lookout when school starts."

Quinn made a face. "I don't want to go back to school."

"Me either," Santana and Lauren said in unison again. They glared at each other.

"Well I can't wait," Rachel told them. "I've already got some songs picked out for us to try out for Sectionals."

"Finchel lead, no doubt," Santana said.

"Some of them," Rachel admitted. "I still want to be the star. I can't help it. But some of the songs are evenly divvied up."

"You've come a long way, Hobbit," Santana said. "I don't feel like choking you all of the time anymore."

"And I don't feel like I need to get all of my money changed to dollar bills when you're around anymore," Rachel countered.

"Touché," Santana said, laughing. Lauren gave Rachel a high five.

They arrived into town and Quinn went to the drug store so that Rachel could look for the bandages she needed. "Don't you need to get some condoms?" Santana asked Quinn.

"Santana!" Quinn cried, embarrassed. "First of all, Sam and I didn't have sex last night. Secondly, since my pregnancy, I've been on birth control. Just as a precaution, but I'm on it nonetheless."

Santana rubbed her hands together. "I can't wait to tell Sam."

Quinn shook her head. "There's something wrong with you."

Santana shrugged. "Probably."

Rachel came back to the car. "You will not believe who I ran into," she said. The other girls just looked at her. "Some of the Vocal Adrenaline kids."

"Did they say anything?" Quinn asked her.

Rachel opened her mouth to answer, but the five Vocal Adrenaline kids came out of the store. "Hey, New Directions," one of the girls yelled. "Have you seen our Nationals trophy?"

"You can come over and check it out any time you want to," another girl called. They snickered, walking off.

"Hey!" Santana shouted, getting out of the car. A small crowd gathered because of the raised voices. "How did you guys like standing in the background as someone else won you Nationals?"

"Please," one of the boys said. "We're Vocal Adrenaline. You and your pitiful little club have _nothing _on us, even if we don't sing a note."

Rachel glanced over and saw a music shop, an idea popping into her head. She jumped out of the car and ran over to the store. Meanwhile, Lauren had gotten out of the car, too. "We're going to destroy you this year," she told the VA kids.

"You're going to eat us? Is that what you said?" the other boys said. "I'm actually a little scared." The group cracked up again.

Lauren started for them but a loud guitar riff startled her. Rachel's voice rang through the street, singing, "_We're not going to take it,_

_NO! We ain't gonna take it! _

_We're not going to take it, anymore._"

From out of the music store, drums joined the guitar as Rachel walked out, holding two microphones. Tossing one to Santana, she stared at the VA kids.

Santana smiled at her friend, turning to the VA kids and singing, "_Oh, you're so condescending, _

_Your gall is never ending,_

_We don't want nothing, _

_Not a thing from you._"

Quinn had gotten out of the car and joined Rachel, who handed her the microphone. "_Your life is trite and jaded, _

_Boring and confiscated, _

_If that's the best you've got, _

_Your best won't do_," she sang.

Lauren stood by Santana, sharing her microphone and all four girls sang, "_We're not going to take it, _

_NO! We ain't gonna take it! _

_We're not going to take it, anymore._"

The crowd that had gathered danced in the street. Rachel took the mic back. "_We're right_!" she cried and the crowd said "YEAH!" She sang, "_We're free_!" and they answered with "YEAH!" "_We'll fight_!" she cried and they said "YEAH!" She yelled, "_You'll see_!" and the crowd screamed "YEAH!"

When the music ended, the crowd went wild. Rachel smiled at the VA kids. "We'll be seeing you," she said sweetly. The other kids walked away, frowning.

"That was amazing," Quinn told her, walking with her back to the music store.

Rachel nodded, pleased with showing Vocal Adrenaline up. "Thank you guys so much for helping us out," she told the boys working in the store.

"It's not every day such a righteous babe comes in asking for our help," the boy with the guitar said. "You chicks are badass."

"Thanks," Rachel said slowly. "I think." Quinn laughed as they walked out of the store.

"Berry, that felt good," Santana told her when they were back in the car.

"I've missed singing," Quinn said. "Sam and I sang last night and-"

Santana held up her hand. "Just don't, okay?"

Quinn smiled and shrugged, stopping at the grocery store. "I had no idea boys ate so much. I've lived with Finn and Puck, and I still didn't realize…" she trailed off. "Oh. Um…sorry about that," she said to Rachel and Lauren.

Rachel cleared her throat. "Moving on," she said. "I think we're out of salad."

"I need to check out some sugar free stuff, I guess," Lauren said sadly.

"Why?" Rachel asked.

Lauren filled Rachel in about her health concerns. "Stick with me," Rachel told her. "I can show you all sorts of things that are both delicious and healthy."

Lauren shrugged, following the smaller woman. "Pray for me," she muttered as she passed Santana.

Quinn and Santana walked into the store together. "I think Rachel and Finn are going to make it this time," Santana said.

"Why do you say that?" Quinn asked her.

"I can just tell. Don't you think so?"

Quinn frowned, putting things in their cart. "I think I always knew they were going to make it."

"I guess you were right about not hating them," Santana said after a few moments.

"What?" Quinn asked, distracted.

"When we were fishing I said that I hated them for being happy," Santana reminded her.

"Oh, yeah. What made you change your mind?"

Santana laughed. "I like to mess with them."

Quinn shook her head. "So wrong."

They met Lauren and Rachel at the check out line. "Did you guys find everything you needed?" Quinn asked them.

"Yes," Rachel said happily. "I think Lauren is going to be happy." Behind her Lauren shook her head and mouthed "NO." Quinn giggled.

At the lake house, Finn and the guys were playing a game of basketball. "I'm going to New York," Finn told them during a water break. His friends just looked at him. "Even if I don't get into school there."

Kurt squealed and clapped his hands. "I knew it!" he cried. "I knew you wouldn't let her go."

"Dude, there are so many schools in New York," Puck told him. "You'll get in somewhere."

Finn smiled at him. "That's the plan."

"I'm not so sure I want to go to New York anymore," Sam told them. "I'm thinking that Ohio State seems like a pretty good place to go."

Puck rolled his eyes. "Whipped," he said. "Again."

Sam threw the basketball at him. "Things change, all of the time," he told his friend.

"Nothing has changed for me," Puck said. "I'm going to New York, too."

"This is perfect," Kurt told them. "We can all stay together. Finn, your room can be blue. Puck, we can make yours red," Kurt paused for a moment. "Yes, red will be fine. I think I'm going to go with a nice burnt orange."

"Hummel," Puck said, "shut up." Kurt's face fell a little. Puck felt a twinge of guilt. "My walls are going to be black." Kurt smiled widely at him.

Finn grinned at his friends. "It could really work," he told them.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do," Mike told them, taking a drink of his water. "I'm thinking about trying to get into Julliard."

"Shouldn't be a problem for you, man," Blaine told him. "Your dancing is amazing."

Mike nodded, looking at the house. "I don't know what Mercedes plans are."

"We're still in high school," Artie reminded them, wiping sweat off of his face with a towel. It was harder for him to keep up with the other guys on the court, but he would forever be grateful that they included him. "I don't know what I'm planning on doing and I'm not going to worry about it for at least six months."

"Rachel has always known she was going to New York. She made my choice for me," Finn said, shooting the ball.

"Damn, dude, she has you by the balls," Puck said.

Finn shrugged. "I love her. I'd follow her anywhere."

Blaine smiled at Finn. "That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard." Puck glared at him. Blaine shrugged. "It is."

"Rachel is the girl for me. I'll never want anyone else." He sat down on the grass beside the driveway. "When she had her tonsils taken out this summer, she was so upset. She cried, she wouldn't sleep, she wouldn't eat…you know how she was, Kurt." Kurt nodded. "And the crazy thing is, as scared as she was, I was even more scared. What if she never woke up? What if something really did happen to her voice? She'd never get over it. I pretended to be strong, but it was making me crazy, too."

"Rachel didn't notice, but we did," Blaine said.

Finn nodded. "I held her hand as they wheeled her toward the operating room." He looked up at his friends. "I know people have their tonsils taken out all of the time and they're fine, but I was freaking out. It was then that I realized that I could never be without Rachel."

"Man up, Warbler," Sam told Blaine, who looked like he was about to swoon. Blaine laughed.

"Here they come," Mike told his friends, pointing toward Quinn's car.

Finn couldn't help it; there was no way to stop the smile from spreading across his face as he started towards the car. "Yeah, he's got it bad," Mike said behind him.

When Rachel got out of the car Finn picked her up, twirling her around. "Finn!" she cried, laughing. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him. "Hi," she said, pulling back.

Finn smiled down at her. "Hey," he said.

"I can't handle this for another year," Santana said, getting some bags out of the trunk. "I'm serious. You two are going to have to tone it down."

Finn winked at Rachel, sitting her down. "Let me get some of those," he said, taking the bags from Santana. Sam and Mike grabbed more out of the trunk and carried them to the house.

"I have to go up and figure out how to put get this bandage on," Rachel told Finn, walking with him to the house.

"I'll help you," he told her. "Give me a minute."

"I'm going on up," she told him. "See you in a few minutes." She reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

Finn put the groceries in the kitchen, agreeing to let the others put them up. "Tell Rachel we're going on down to the lake," Mercedes told him.

"We'll be down in just a bit," Finn told her.

"Mmm hmm," Mercedes said, putting drinks in the fridge. Watching him leave the kitchen she looked at her friends. "Think they'll ever make it back down?"


	17. Chapter 17

Finn climbed the stairs and opened the door to his and Rachel's room. "Hey, Rach," he said, closing the door behind him.

A tiny blur, Rachel ran and jumped on him, placing tiny kisses all over his face. Startled, Finn almost dropped her. Laughing, he wrapped his arms around her, finding her lips with his own. "Lock the door," Rachel told him, trying to figure out how to get his shirt off in the position they were in.

Finn turned the lock behind him, then grabbed the back of his shirt over his shoulder and pulled it off, stumbling a little. Rachel laughed into his neck, kissing it. "Sweaty," she said.

"Sorry," he told her.

"I like it," she told him, licking his neck.

Finn shuddered, burying his face in her hair. He ran his hands down her exposed back, rubbing her warm skin. "You feel so good," he told her.

"You do too." She put her mouth by his ear. "I'm not wearing anything under my dress," she whispered.

Finn's mind went completely blank. "Wha-what?"

Rachel smiled up at him. "You heard me."

"God, I love you," he groaned. He lifted her up higher, letting her push his pants down. He started to walk toward the bed but couldn't wait, setting her down on him. She was wet and ready and he slid into her easily. Rachel moaned, laying her forehead against his. Because she was so small, he was able to easily lift and lower her onto him. Rachel gasped, staring into his eyes. "Faster," she said, biting her bottom lip and closing her eyes.

Finn wrapped his arms tightly around her, pushing her down on him. Rachel began gasping his name, her voice becoming higher pitched with every thrust. Sobbing, she laid her head on his shoulder. She felt like she was coming apart and Finn was the only thing holding her together.

Finn couldn't get enough of her. The feel of her body straining against his, the sound of her cries, the way she clenched around him; if he died right now, he was okay with that. With a shriek she came undone in his arms. Finn groaned as she ground against him, his entire world exploding around him. When he could think again he realized he was on the floor, Rachel on top of him.

"Did I pass out?" he asked.

Rachel laughed, not moving. "I think I did, so I'm not sure if you did or not."

"Feel free to greet me this way every time I come through a door." Rachel snorted and he said, "No, I'm serious. I don't even care if there are other people around."

Rachel buried her face in his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure everyone within a five mile radius knows what just happened up here," she said, embarrassed.

Finn smiled at her. "Probably," he agreed.

She groaned. "I can't go out there," she told him. "You know what they'll do. I'll never hear the end of it."

"I'll be with you," he told her. "I'll beat their asses if they say anything."

Rachel laughed. "You will not," she said. "You'll puff your chest out and smirk."

Finn frowned. "Do I do that?"

"Yes."

"Sorry."

"It's okay," she giggled.

"Let's get that bandage on so I can show you off to the guys," Finn said, rising up.

Rachel sighed. "I can't believe that I'm going to have yet another reason for the people at school to make fun of me."

Finn looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, they already make fun of me for my nose and my height," she said, unwrapping the waterproof tape she'd bought. "Now I'll have a big scar on my leg and they'll come up with some way to make fun of me for that."

Finn pulled her into his lap, kissing her head. "I'm sorry babe."

Rachel took a deep breath. "It's okay. I'm not going to let it get me down."

Finn grinned widely. "So you're still going to wear short skirts?" he asked hopefully.

Rachel laughed. "I'm not going to let a scar dictate what I wear," she told him. They sat quietly for a moment. "I hope it's not really big though," she admitted.

"I hope so too," he murmured, rubbing her arms. "And when we have kids we can tell them that a scar like that is what happens when daddy lets mommy drive."

Rachel would have poked him if her breath hadn't been taken away. "Kids?" she said wonderingly. "Oh my gosh, Finn, we're going to have kids one day." She looked up at him.

"Yeah," he said, smiling crookedly. "I guess we will."

Rachel could feel her eyes filling with tears. "So this is real," she whispered.

"It's always been real," he told her. Picturing a little Rachel or a little Finn did funny things to his heart though.

"I know that we've talked about it before," she said, taking his hand and linking their fingers together, "but I never really believed it would happen." They sat together on the floor for a minute, both thinking about their future. "I'm not even sure what you want to be," she said after a minute. "I keep trying to picture you coming home from work, but I'm never sure what "work" is."

Finn groaned. "I have the same problem," he admitted. "I'm not sure what I want to be, either."

"You'll figure it out," Rachel said, kissing his hand.

"I wish I was more like you," he told her. "I wish I knew what I wanted to do so I could be working toward it."

"Finn, most people think I'm a crazy person," she reminded him.

"You are a crazy person," he told her, smiling. "I love that about you."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Sure you do." He lightly tickled her ribs and she laughed. "You really don't have any idea?"

Finn sighed. "I know that my mom seems to think I'm going to grow up and be a teacher, coach a football team, something like that."

Rachel looked up at him. "That's not something you're interested in?" she asked, noticing his tone.

"Not really," he said. Sighing again, he said, "I don't think so, anyway."

"Okay, what do you like to do?" she asked him. Finn grinned at her and wagged his eyebrows. "Finn!" she cried, slapping his arm lightly. "Besides that."

"I'm really good at video games," he said finally. Rachel groaned. "No, I mean, I'm really interested in them. I actually created my own…" he trailed off, embarrassed.

"What?" Rachel asked, staring at him with her mouth open. "Are you serious?"

He shrugged. "It's not a big deal," he said.

"Wait," she said, twisting around to look him in the eye. "You created your own video game?"

"Yeah."

"How?" she asked him.

"When I was working, I saved up some money. I thought it was for the baby…" he trailed off again. "Anyway, I ended up getting some software that looked really cool and worked with it until I'd created my own game."

"Finn, this is amazing! What's it like?"

"It's about an alien planet that we visit…only they're the good guys and we're the bad guys trying to destroy their world. You can be one of us or an alien." He smiled. "I like being an alien. They have cooler guns. And their world is really cool, too, made mostly of water. The aliens have a definite advantage there, because they can breathe under water." Rachel stared at him. "I guess it's stupid," he said finally, frowning.

Rachel took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. "It's not stupid at all," she said, pulling away and staring into his eyes. "It sounds awesome."

Finn smiled. "You think so?" She nodded. "Blaine liked it," he told her.

"Blaine has played your video game? How come he never mentioned it to me?"

"I didn't tell him it was mine," Finn admitted. "I didn't want him to know in case he thought it was dumb."

Rachel put her forehead to his. "You amaze me," she told him softly. "It's like you don't see you the way everyone else does."

"I'm pretty sure I've told you that before," he told her, smiling.

"I'm serious, Finn. You're so good at so many things, and you don't seem to realize it."

"Again," he said, pulling back a bit to look at her, "I'm pretty sure I've told you the same thing."

"Well look how lucky we are," Rachel said, grinning. "We're both in love with someone amazing."

"I know how lucky I am," he told her huskily.

Rachel felt a now familiar tightening in her stomach. "Finn," she whispered. "We need to get ready and go swimming."

Finn took the tape out of her hand, putting it on the floor beside them. "The lake isn't going anywhere," he told her. Rachel shrieked, laughing as he grabbed her.

From outside the house, Santana rolled her eyes. "Yeah, they're not coming out any time soon."

"Wait," Brittany said, leaning closer to her, "why would they be coming out? They're not gay, right?"

"Girl, you are too much sometimes," Mercedes told the blonde. She looked toward the house. "Let's just head on down to the water," she said. "They know where we're going."

Santana nodded, agreeing. "Where's Mike?"

"He's already there," Mercedes told her. She looked down at the cover up she wore over her bathing suit and sighed. "Maybe I should stay here," she said.

"Why?" Santana asked her.

Mercedes frowned. "I'm not a skinny little thing like you," she told the other woman. "I'm a whole lotta woman."

"You think Mike doesn't realize that?" Santana asked her.

"He obviously knows I'm a bigger girl," Mercedes said. "But the bathing suit sort of…I don't know, makes it more pronounced."

"I think you're beautiful," Brittany told Mercedes, putting her head on her shoulder.

Mercedes took a deep breath. "Thank you," she told the other woman. "I just hope he thinks the same."

"If you get tired of stressing out over men," Santana told her, "you know there are always other options."

Mercedes laughed, a deep belly laugh. "Girl, you're too much too."

They got to the lake shore and saw their friends. Mercedes joined Kurt and Blaine, who were sitting in lounge chairs. "I think I'm going to talk to Artie and Tina," Brittany said.

"Oh, hey, Brit?" Santana called, stopping her. "About that," she said, walking towards her friend. "I don't know if you've talked to Artie or not…"

"About what?" Brittany asked her.

"Well, you know that Tina and Mike broke up, right?"

"Yeah. Now he and Mercedes are together."

"You know how Tina and Artie used to date?" Santana said.

Brittany nodded. "She broke his heart."

"Well, Artie has decided that it was time to give her another chance," Santana said.

Brittany looked over at the couple. "Wait, are you saying that Artie and Tina are dating again?"

Santana put her hand on Brittany's shoulders. "Yes."

Brittany frowned. "But Tina cheated on him."

"When you love someone, you have to learn to forgive them. Look at Sam and Quinn."

Brittany looked at Santana. "I guess I should be happy for them, right? I mean, they're both my friends." Santana nodded. "Why does this hurt me then?" she asked.

Santana hugged her. "Because you loved Artie, too," she said.

"I don't like this," Brittany said after a moment.

"I'm sorry, Brit."

Brittany looked at the couple again, then at Santana. "Is this how I made you feel?" she asked.

Santana sighed. "I'm good," she told her friend.

"I'm sorry," Brittany told her. "I really am."

Santana kissed Brittany's forehead. "Let's get in the water!" She felt strong arms wrap around her waist.

"I'll help you," Puck said from behind her. Mike had grabbed Brittany and both men picked them up, carrying them into the water and throwing them in.

Spluttering and coughing, Santana came up out of the water. "You're a dead man, Puckerman!" she screeched.

"Bring it," Puck told her.

The war was on.


	18. Chapter 18

Rachel and Finn finally made it down to the lake. Santana whistled at them. "Wooo, Berry, looking good!" she said. Rachel laughed, dropping her towel into a chair.

"What's going on?" Finn asked Kurt, who was still sunning himself.

"I do believe they're getting ready for a chicken tourney," Kurt told them.

"Hell yeah," Finn said, grinning. "Me and Rach are in!" he called to his friends in the water.

"Are you guys not playing?" Rachel asked Lauren and Mercedes.

"Do I look like I'm going to be getting up on some man's shoulders?" Lauren asked.

"Come on, baby," Puck called to her. "We could destroy them."

"Or I could flatten you," she told him.

"Are you doubting my badassness?" Puck asked, walking toward the woman.

"Hell yes," Lauren told him.

Puck flexed his pecs. "Try me," he said.

Lauren laughed. "What happens if you get hurt?"

Puck rolled his eyes. "Not going to happen."

Lauren thought about it for a moment. "I guess I'm in," she said.

Puck jumped up in the air and turned around to face the people in the water. "You're all GOING TO DIE!" he yelled. "My girl and I are going to DESTROY you!"

"I don't want to die," Brittany told Santana.

"Then someone is going to have to drown that big bitch," Santana told her. "Or it's over for all of us."

"'Cedes?" Mike said. "Are you sure you don't want to play?"

"Kurt and I are going to be the referees," Mercedes told him. She was lying out in her bathing suit, pleased that Mike seemed to find her sexy in it.

"All right, what do we have here?" Puck said. "Me and Lauren, Finn and Rachel, Mike and Brittany, Blaine and Santana, Sam and Quinn."

"Where's Tina and Artie?" Rachel asked.

"They went back to the house," Blaine told her. "Probably going to get their Finchel on."

"Get their Finchel on?" Rachel asked him, eyebrows raised.

Blaine blushed. "My bad," he said, laughing.

Rachel looked at Finn, who was smirking. "Stop that," she said, elbowing him.

"Everyone knows how to play, right?" Sam asked.

"Do we all just attack each other or do we do it in twos?" Santana asked.

"We don't have an even number of teams, so I say we go in twos and then the winner faces Puck and Lauren," Sam said.

"Recognize," Lauren said. She and Puck shared a fist bump.

"Who's going first?" Quinn yelled to Kurt. He and Mercedes put their heads together for a moment.

"Santana and Blaine vs. Quinn and Sam!" Kurt called back.

Santana winked at Quinn. "You're going down, Fabray."

"We'll see," Quinn said. She looked at Sam. "We can do this," she told him lowly. "Santana's taller than Blaine. Their balance will be off."

"She has the fact that she's insane on her side, though," Sam told her, kissing her lightly. "Be careful." Quinn nodded.

"Let's do this!" Santana yelled from Blaine's shoulders. He didn't seem to have a problem holding her.

Rachel and Finn watched them. "Keep your eye out for any weaknesses on either team," he told her quietly. "After we beat Brittany and Mike, we'll have to face one of them."

Rachel nodded, smiling slightly. Finn really was a good captain, and this was why. When it came down to game time, the smiles and the jokes were gone; Finn got serious. He had no doubt that they were going to beat Mike and Brittany (though Rachel was a little worried), and was already making plans to take out the next team. Rachel looked over to where Puck and Lauren were glaring at the couples getting ready to go and swallowed. Maybe she didn't want to win…

"Ready?" Mercedes called from the shore. Both Santana and Quinn nodded, lifting their hands.

"Chicken fight!" Kurt yelled.

Rachel held her breath as the two teams moved together. Quinn immediately pushed Santana hard on the shoulders, almost knocking her off. Blaine held her steady and she winked at Quinn. "My turn," she said, and Blaine moved quickly toward the other man, Santana putting her shoulder into Quinn's stomach and pushing hard.

Quinn grabbed Santana, holding on. Sam stumbled a bit, and Blaine took advantage of it and moved even closer. Santana broke free from Quinn's hold and moved to the side, causing Quinn to fall forward a little. Sam couldn't move forward because Blaine was in the way and Quinn fell off of him. "YES!" Santana screamed, sliding off of Blaine and kissing him on the lips.

"Satan!" Kurt called from the shore.

"Sorry!" she said, smiling. She looked at Quinn and winked.

Quinn shrugged and wrapped her arms around Sam's neck, kissing him. "Next time," she said, smiling.

"Next time," Sam agreed, holding her.

Rachel looked at Finn. "Blaine is good," she told him.

Finn nodded. "He won that for them," he agreed.

"Hey," she said as they waded toward Brittany and Mike. "How are we going to beat them?"

Finn smiled. "Mike's fast on his feet and Brittany is extremely strong. Don't let her get you in a hold. Dodge her and stay on me. I'll take care of the rest." He looked at her. "Will your leg be okay?"

"Yeah," she told him. "With the way we've got it wrapped up, no water will touch it."

"Doesn't it hurt, though?" Finn asked, concerned.

"It does," she admitted. "It's nothing that's going to stop me from having a good time."

"Okay," Brittany said, climbing on top of Mike. "I just make Rachel fall into the water?"

"Yes," Mike told her.

"What if I hurt her?" Brittany asked. "Rachel is so tiny, I feel weird picking on her."

"It's not picking on her," Mike told her. "It's chicken fighting."

Brittany wanted to ask what any of this had to do with chickens, but she kept her mouth shut. People looked at her funny when she asked about things. "Go Brit!" Santana yelled.

Rachel got on Finn's shoulder's, feeling very high up in the air. "You okay?" Finn asked her.

"I think so," Rachel said.

"You've got this, Berry!" Puck called.

Rachel smiled at him and leaned down towards Finn. "Do we have this?"

"I think so," he told her. "I'm going to keep my hands right here," he told her, putting his hands right above her knees.

"Ready?" Kurt yelled. Both women raised their hands.

"Chicken fight!" Mercedes yelled.

Brittany reached for Rachel but she moved back out of Brittany's way. Mike moved closer, but Finn quickly stepped to the side. Brittany quickly shifted and tried to grab Rachel again. Rachel dodged her again and Finn moved to the side again. Mike and Brittany adjusted more quickly this time and Brittany's grab came quicker than Rachel had anticipated. She was still able to dodge her friend's hands. Once again Finn stepped to the side. Brittany smiled and grabbed at Rachel more forcefully for the third time, but Finn quickly moved to the other side. Brittany didn't have time to pull back and went toppling into the water.

Mike shook his head. "I _knew _you were going to do that!" he said ruefully, smiling.

"Should have told your partner," Finn said, grinning. Rachel slid off of his back and jumped into his arms.

"We did it!" she said happily, kissing him.

"You can't fool me, Finnocence," Santana told Finn as she and Blaine waded over to them. "I'm wise to your tricks."

Finn looked down at Rachel. "She's probably right," he told her.

"I'm more worried about Blaine," Rachel said, looking at the other couple. "He's like a ninja."

Finn looked at the couple, too. "We'll have a height advantage on them," Finn said. "I'll get so close to him that he may fall back a bit. If he does, push Santana with all of your might and stay on me. If he doesn't, you're just going to have to out-wrestle her."

Rachel frowned and nodded. "We may not win this one," she told him.

"Hey," he said, using his finger to lift her face toward his. "We can do this."

Rachel smiled and nodded, putting her hand in his. "We're ready," she told Santana and Blaine, climbing onto Finn's shoulders.

"We are too," Santana said, moving to Blaine's shoulder.

"Ready?" Kurt called. The girls raised their hands.

"Chicken fight!" Mercedes shouted.

Finn immediately rushed towards Blaine, getting so close to the other boy that he stumbled backwards. Santana reached for Rachel but the smaller woman dodged her arms, pushing her with all of her might. Santana's arms wind milled as she tried to right herself. Finn moved closer and Rachel pushed again, this time from the other side. "Shit!" Santana screamed as she fell off of Blaine and into the water.

Everyone started clapping and yelling. Rachel laughed, moving off of Finn and kissing him again. "My bad, Santana," Blaine said.

Santana sighed, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "Don't worry about it Warbler," she said. She waded to the shore, mumbling about hobbits and giants working together.

Rachel laughed and looked at Finn. "We did it," she said.

"And now you have to face us," Lauren said smugly.

Finn had seen them talking and knew something was up. "What are you guys planning?" he asked.

Lauren shrugged and looked at Puck. "Do we have this or what?" she said.

"Oh, we've got this," he said, smiling at her.

"I'm scared," Rachel told Finn.

"Everyone get ready," Kurt called.

Rachel climbed on Finn and waited for Lauren to climb on Puck. That's not what happened, though. _Puck _climbed on _Lauren_. "Not fair!" Rachel cried immediately.

"Hey, this is boy/girl chicken," Puck told them, smiling slyly.

"Kurt, this is not fair!" Rachel yelled toward the shore.

Kurt and Mercedes were laughing and leaned close to each other to discuss it. "We'll allow it," they said.

"We'll get them, Rach," Finn told her, though he was pretty sure Puck and Lauren had this one in the bag.

"You are going down, Noah," Rachel told him.

"We'll see, Rachel," he countered.

"Ready?" Mercedes called. Rachel raised her hand and Puck nodded his head.

"Chicken fight!" Kurt called, clapping his hands excitedly.

Puck lunged toward Rachel, catching her. "Ah!" Rachel screamed. Finn backed away, pulling Rachel from his grasp. Puck winked at her as Lauren moved beneath him. Puck lunged again, this time pushing Rachel. Finn's strong hands held on to her knees and she was able to stay on him. Because Finn was quicker than Lauren, he was once again able to back up. They circled each other, each oblivious to the others on the shore cheering them on.

"Come on, Berry," Puck said, smiling. "Just fall off."

"Never!" Rachel told him.

Puck lunged again, but this time Finn backed up more quickly than Puck had expected. Almost unseated, Puck put his hands on his legs, trying to regain his balance. Finn moved in closer and Rachel pushed down on Puck's head, putting all of her weight on top of him. Lauren was forced forward, too, and she fell, taking both Puck and Rachel down with her.

Rachel came up gasping. Finn grabbed her, moving her hair out of her face. "Did we win?" she asked him. They both looked toward the shore.

Kurt was standing right beside the water. "Since both Puck and Lauren went under _before _Rachel and Finn remained standing, Rachel and Finn win!"

"Yes!" Finn yelled, pumping his fist toward the sky. Rachel danced happily around him in the water.

"You guys suck," Lauren told them, wading back towards the shore.

"Damn," Puck said, still a bit water logged. "I never saw that coming." He clapped Finn on the back and kissed Rachel on the forehead. "Congratulations."

Some of their friends came back out into the water to congratulate them and then they all swam around. Sam ended up swimming beside Mercedes. "Hey," she said to him.

"Hey," he said back, looking up to the shore.

"Are you still mad at me?" she asked him.

Sam sighed. "I was afraid that you were mad at me," he admitted.

"Why would I be mad at you?" she asked.

"I acted like a jerk," he told her.

"No you didn't. You acted like you were hurt." She looked into his eyes. "I'm really sorry."

"I understand why you did it now," he told her. "I didn't get it at the time, but I can see now what you saw then."

Mercedes nodded at him. "You were still in love with Quinn."

Sam shook his head. "I really am sorry, Mercedes. I liked you."

Mercedes grinned. "I know you did."

"So are we cool?" he asked.

"We're cool," Mercedes told him.

"And we all know that I'm cool," Puck said as he swam by.

"You wish, Puckerman," Sam said, splashing water towards him.

Puck rolled over onto his back in the water, flexing his pecs as he moved past them. "And here I'd thought that Lauren had reformed him," Rachel said, swimming up to her friends. She leaned her head back into the water. "Isn't this beautiful?" she asked them. The sun was hitting the water, causing it to gleam. No boats on this part of the lake meant that the water was calm. Large green trees framed the edges of the lake and Rachel was pretty sure she'd never been anywhere so beautiful.

"I love it here," Mercedes said. "If I could live in the Fabray lake house for the rest of my life, I would."

"I think I'll want to come back here when I'm older," Rachel said, treading water. "Ohio, that is."

"I'm fine with that," Finn said, swimming up behind her.

"Way to take down Puck and Zizes," Sam told him, giving him a fist bump above the water.

"It was all Rachel," Finn said, smiling at his girlfriend.

Rachel shook her head and mouthed, "No."

"Artie and Tina brought firewood up from the house on their way back out here," Finn told them. "We're going to have a big bonfire on the shore."

"That sounds amazing," Mercedes said.

"It's kind of weird," Finn said. "So many things have changed in the past few days. Everyone will be sitting with someone else tonight."

"Not me," Rachel said.

"Not you," he agreed, kissing her.

"Well, it's about time things got straightened out," Mercedes said, swimming back toward the shore.

"I agree," Sam said, watching Quinn and Brittany do handstands in the water. Swimming towards them, he said, "Change can be a good thing."

Rachel wrapped her legs around Finn in the water, using her hands to keep her up. "Well I, for one, am glad that things are working out for all of our friends. I don't feel so guilty for being so happy if they're all happy too."

Finn kissed her. "You should never feel guilty for being happy, babe," he told her.

Rachel sighed. "I know. But when all of our friends are moping around and miserable it bothers me."

Finn nodded. "Yeah, it sucks."

Rachel looked around the lake at their friends. "How long do you think the happiness is going to last?"

Finn grimaced. "Honestly?"

"No, lie to me," she said, rolling her eyes at him and smiling.

"I think Brittany and Artie are going to end up back together."

Rachel frowned. "Really?"

"Don't look at me like that," Finn complained. "You asked."

"What about Tina?"

Finn shook his head. "I don't know."

"Mike and Mercedes?"

"I think they'll be together for a while."

Rachel scanned their friends again. "Quinn and Sam?"

"I think they might make it."

"Really?"

"I see it working out like this; they go to college together and stay together for while. They probably won't last through college though."

"I can't believe you're in the middle of the lake with a gorgeous chick wrapped around you and you're talking about other people's relationships," Puck complained as he swam by.

"Noah," Rachel groaned. When he was out of earshot, Rachel looked at Finn and smiled. "Sorry."

Finn, still treading water, smiled at her. "It's not a problem," he said. "He does have a point, though." He moved closer to her kissing her. Both of them forgot to keep swimming and they sank under the water. Laughing as their heads resurfaced, Finn said, "Maybe we should go in a little."

Rachel nodded. "I'll follow you," she told him, looking into his eyes. "Anywhere."


	19. Chapter 19

Puck sat staring at the fire. His friends sat all around him, laughing and talking. He didn't feel like laughing and he didn't feel like talking. Sometimes he just wanted to be alone and left alone. He looked over to where Quinn and Sam sat together and sighed. Quinn had never given him the space he needed to be himself; she had always wanted him to change and was on him _every minute _about it.

Rachel had never been like that because she was a lot like him. She was working on herself, just like Puck was. His eyes quickly found her; he always knew where she was. She and Finn were sitting quietly and staring at the fire. He was happy for them. He really was. It sucked, though, that he'd finally realized what he wanted and he couldn't have it. He snorted softly…it wasn't like he'd ever had a chance, anyway.

"Why are you so sullen?" Santana said, sitting beside him.

"I'm not sullen," Puck said. "I'm just tired."

"Yeah, sitting on top of Lauren and getting pushed into the water by a midget must have taken a lot out of you," Santana said, rolling her eyes.

Puck shrugged, refusing to let her bait him. "I've just got a lot of things on my mind," he told her.

"Like what?" she asked him, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her head on them, looking at him.

"The guys and I were talking today about New York," he said, staring into the fire. "I guess Kurt plans on us all living together."

"Sounds great," Santana told him. "What's the problem?"

"What makes you think there is one?" he asked, looking at her.

"I know you," she said simply.

Puck nodded, turning his gaze back to the fire. "Maybe it's not a good idea for me to go," he told her.

"Because of Rachel, right?"

Puck glared at her. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Santana shook her head. "Like I just said, I know you."

"Fuck, Santana, you don't know shit." He started to get up.

"It's okay, Puck," she told him. "It's not like I'm going to say anything."

Puck snorted. "You fuck with everyone. Why wouldn't you fuck with me?"

"I fuck with them because they're happy," she told him. "I won't mess with you because I know exactly how you feel." Her gaze landed briefly on Brittany, who was sitting by Mercedes and Mike but looking at Tina and Artie.

Puck followed her gaze. "What's up with Brittany?"

Santana sighed. "She's upset that Tina and Artie are back together," she told him.

Puck nodded. "I figured it was something like that." His gaze went back to Rachel briefly before he looked back at Santana.

"You can't stop looking at her," she told him.

"I can't fucking help it," he ground out, clenching his fists.

"You're going to have to try," she said softly. She looked around the bonfire. "Where's Lauren?"

"She went to the house. Said she wasn't feeling well. I'll check on her in a little bit."

"What's going on there?"

"Nothing," Puck told her, throwing a stick in the fire. "She's my girl and I'd do anything for her, but she's always going to be just a friend."

"Is she okay with that?" Santana asked him.

"Why do you want to know?" Puck asked, looking at her.

Santana shrugged. "I was just wondering."

"She's okay with it," he told her.

"You have to go to New York," Santana told him.

"Why's that?"

"Because you belong there."

Puck looked at Rachel and Finn again. "Rachel belongs there. So does Kurt. Guys like me don't belong anywhere."

"What does that mean about girls like me?" she asked quietly.

Puck smiled at her. "You've changed," he told her. "A year ago you would have never asked me if I thought you were going to make it anywhere. What's going on?"

Santana closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I'm just not sure where I belong," she told him. "Or what I'm doing. I feel sort of lost."

Puck nudged her legs with his. "You'll figure it out. This Brittany thing will blow over."

"So will your Rachel thing," she told him.

Puck looked down at his hands. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"

Santana nodded. "I guess we will."

He looked at her. "You still planning on going to New York?" he asked her.

"I am," she said.

Cocking his eyebrow, he leaned close to her. "Think you can get me in on a little 3 way action?"

Santana rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Like you'd have any trouble finding that on your own."

Puck shrugged. "You never know about those New York women," he told her. "Maybe they wouldn't be into that."

Santana grinned. "They better be into that," she told him.

Puck looked at her. "We had some good times," he said finally.

"We did," she said, touching his hand.

"I guess you were just using me?" he asked, looking at the fire again instead of her, as if he didn't really want to know the answer.

"No," she said, touching him again so he'd look at her. "I cared about you."

"But you're a lesbian."

She looked at him. "I am…I think. I mean, I'm in love with Brittany and I've never been in love with anyone before," she looked at him. "Sorry." He shrugged. "It's just confusing. I love people, you know? I just…I like to be with someone. But with women more?" She sighed. "Never mind, I don't even know what I'm trying to say."

Puck held her hand. "You don't have to explain it to me," he told her. "I think I get it."

She smiled softly at him. "Thanks, Puck." She closed her eyes, squeezing his hand. "I think that sometimes I just need someone to care about me so I don't feel so alone."

"I care about you," he told her and she opened her eyes to look at him.

Letting out a shaky breath, she smiled at him. "Thank you."

"If you need someone to talk to," he told her, "you can always come to me. And I don't give a shit what the rest of the guys on the football team say. If any of them fuck with any of you this year, I'll pick up a chair and beat the shit out of them."

"You'll have my back?" she said, laughing softly.

"Anytime."

She looked around at their friends, then back at him. "Would you have my back if I asked to spend the night in your room?" Puck just stared at her, confused. "I'm not asking you to sleep with me. Well, yeah, to sleep with me," she stopped herself and took a deep breath. "I just don't want to spend another night alone," she said.

Puck watched her for a minute. "No sex, just sleeping?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "Think you could handle that?"

Puck leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "I can," he told her, smiling. Santana breathed a sigh of relief. "And, you know, if you decide at any time during the night you need a little of the Puckasuraus, baby you just let me know."

Santana laughed loudly, putting her hand over her mouth. "Oh, I think I'll be alright."

Puck flexed his arms, winking at her. "Just letting you know." Santana put her head on his shoulder, laughing. Puck laughed with her, forgetting about Rachel sitting across the fire from him for the first time in over an hour.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Rachel asked Finn.

"Who, Puck and Santana?" he asked, resting his chin on her head. Rachel made a noise of confirmation. "I'm not sure."

"They both seem so sad," Rachel said, frowning. "Have you noticed that?"

"It's hard to be alone," Finn told her.

"How would you know?" Rachel replied, turning her face to look up at him.

Finn looked down at her upturned face. "I've been alone," he told her.

"Not for long."

"For long enough, Rach," he told her, running his hand through his short hair.

Rachel shrugged. "If you say so."

"You think I should have been alone longer?"

Rachel sighed, sorry she'd brought it up. "You've only really dated two girls in your life," she reminded him.

"So?"

"So how are you so sure that I'm the one you're supposed to end up with?"

Finn frowned. "Maybe you're right," he said. "Maybe I should go ask Brittany out. "

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I'm being serious, Finn."

He shook his head. "So am I," he told her. "I bet I could pick her up pretty easily on the rebound." Rachel didn't say anything and he let out a breath. "Come on, Rach, are you being serious?"

"Of course I am," she told him.

"It's not like you're the best example of experience," he reminded her.

"But I've never loved anyone but you," she said.

He moved her hair back from her neck. "I've never been in love with anyone but you," he told her, kissing her neck.

Rachel turned all the way around and looked at him. "You were in love with Quinn," she told him.

Finn smiled down at her, shaking his head. "I wasn't, Rachel. If I'd been in love with Quinn, I would have never kissed you. Or thought about you all of the time. Or made up excuses just to bump into you in the hallway or sing with you."

Rachel grinned at him. "I always wondered why you were by my locker right before History. There was never really any reason for it."

Finn chuckled. "There was a reason for it," he told her. "You."

Rachel looked at him wide eyed. "That's sweet," she told him, her heart melting a little.

Finn shrugged. "I knew that I'd see you at lunch and again during Glee Club, but that stretch of morning before those things seemed like too long for me to go without seeing you." He grinned. "And your short skirts."

Rachel groaned. "Way to kill a moment," she said, laughing.

"You know I love those skirts," he told her in mock seriousness.

"Enough to look over the animal print sweaters?"

"I like those too," he admitted. She smiled brightly. "Not really the patterns, but the way they hug your body."

Rachel sighed. "Again, way to kill a moment."

Finn laughed, hugging her. "If you're wearing it, Rach, I'm a fan."

Rachel thought about it for a moment. "I guess that will suffice," she said. She watched him for a moment. "And since we're discussing attire," she said, continuing despite Finn's frown at the word "attire," "I love to see you in your football outfit after a game."

"Football _uniform_," he corrected her. "Why after a game?"

Rachel made a face. "I know it's probably not normal, but to see you dirty and sweaty and know that you were just embroiled in battle makes me a little hot."

"Wait," Finn said, feeling tongue tied. "Dirt and sweat and embroidery makes you hot?"

Rachel's laughter carried over the lake shore. "No, not embroidery. Forget that part."

Finn grinned crookedly. "Say it again," he said.

"What?"

"Say what makes you hot," he told her.

Rachel giggled. "You're hopeless, Finn," she told him.

Finn shrugged, smiling at her laughter. "I'm okay with that." After a moment, he looked at her seriously. "I love that."

"What?"

"That you can joke with me and know when to not take me seriously. Or that you don't make fun of me or get mad at me when I don't understand things or I get mixed up."

Rachel smiled softly at him. "You know lots of things that I don't," she told him. "They're just words."

Finn shook his head. "Not to some people."

"I love everything about you," she told him, looking into his eyes. "Everything you are is perfect for me."

Finn kissed her again, this time putting his hand in her hair and letting his lips play tenderly over hers. "We're going in, guys," Quinn said from behind them. They turned to see her and Sam walking towards the lake house.

"Good night," their friends called.

"They look happy," Rachel said.

"I think they are," Finn said, looking back at her. "Not as happy as us," he said, smiling at her.

"Mmm," Rachel said. "Is anyone that happy?"

"I never have been," he told her.

"Not even with Quinn?" she teased.

"Back on that again?"

"You thought you were in love with her," Rachel told him.

Finn shrugged. "I tried to convince myself I was in love with her because I was supposed to be." He kissed her lightly on the lips. "I've only ever tried to convince myself that I'm not in love with you," he told her. "And it didn't work."

Rachel smiled at him. "You're good," she told him.

"At what?"

"Saying exactly what I need to hear."

Finn kissed her again. "That's not all I'm good at."

Rachel laughed into the kiss. "You have a big head, Finn."

"That's not the only thing that's-," he said, stopping when her laughing mouth covered his.


	20. Chapter 20

Rachel rolled over in the bed, reaching for Finn. When her hand didn't find him, she cracked open her eyes, looking for him. The bed was empty. Her eyes adjusting to the dark, she rolled over and looked for him in their room. She found him sitting in the window seat, staring out the window. "Baby?" she asked softly. "Why are you up?"

Finn looked over at her, the soft light from the moon lighting his face. He smiled. "It's nothing, Rach, go back to sleep."

Rachel rose onto her elbows, watching him. "I love you," she told him, smiling sleepily. She wasn't sure why it seemed like such a good time to say it, but she felt like it was.

"I love you, too," Finn said, shaking his head a little.

Rachel stared at him for a minute, then fumbled around until she was standing by the bed. She was naked, but she wasn't embarrassed. She knew Finn loved her body; thinking about the ways Finn loved her body shot heat through her core. She walked to where he was sitting and straddled his legs, resting her head on his chest. His heart beat was strong and steady and she closed her eyes, silently counting the beats.

"I didn't mean to wake you up," he said against her head.

"S'okay," she mumbled. Looking up at him, she was again struck by how handsome he was. From the moment she'd met him, she'd wanted him. It was hard for her to believe that he was really hers. Bringing her hand up to stroke his cheek, she smiled. "What is it?"

"Nothing," he told her, shaking his head.

Rachel frowned and sighed. "I'm sleepy, Finn," she told him. "Tell me what's wrong so we can both go back to bed."

Finn chuckled at her demand. "I'm just thinking," he told her quietly.

"Well, tell me what you're thinking about," she said, laying her head back on his chest.

"Life," he told her. She looked back up at him, making a face. "Really, just about life."

"What about it?"

Finn moved a little, putting his back fully against the wall and resting his head against it. "My dad died a long time ago," he told her. She nodded, looking into his eyes. "I always felt like I was cheated." Rachel ran her hands down his arms, finding his hands and holding them. "All of my life, I just drifted around. I didn't know what I wanted to do and I was okay with that because I had a reason not to know. No dad, I was destined to screw up. I don't know how many times I've heard people make excuses for me because my dad died."

"Oh, Finn," Rachel said, shaking her head. "You were never a screw up."

He looked at her. "But I was, Rach. I stood outside of my own life and let other people make decisions for me. I bullied people because I didn't care enough to stand up for them or myself. I've not studied a lot and my grades aren't that good. I still don't know Spanish and I've had Spanish class three times already."

"All of this is things we can work on next year," she told him.

Finn sighed. "What if it's too late? What if I never amount to anything because of the way I've lived my life this far?"

Rachel looked at him, surprised. "Finn, you can't believe that." He looked away from her and she took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "You will not give up on yourself, and I will _never _give up on you."

Finn closed his eyes. "I was thinking more about the gaming idea and it's something I think I would really like to do. There's so much work that goes into it, though. What if I can't do it?"

"You can do anything," she whispered. He opened his eyes to look at her and her heart broke when she saw tears in them.

"I'm not smart like you, Rachel," he told her, a tear falling down his cheek. "I never will be, no matter how hard I work."

Rachel pressed her lips to his, closing her eyes tight. With every tear, her heart broke a little more. "You are smart, Finn. And you can do this, if it's what you really want to do." She opened her eyes and looked into his. "I believe in you."

Finn smiled slightly, rubbing the tears off of his face in embarrassment and looking down. "I'm glad you believe in me."

Rachel put her forehead to his and took a deep breath. "Finn, I'm not just saying these things to placate you. I mean every word. You can do whatever you want, be whatever you want. You're only 17. You've ruined nothing! The whole world is open to us."

Finn raised his head and looked at her, then back out the window. "It's open to you because you're so talented."

Rachel blew out a breath, frustrated. "Finn Hudson, listen to me right now," she said forcefully. He looked at her. "I could go to New York and never set foot on a Broadway stage. As good as I am, there are a hundred girls just as good or better."

Finn smiled slightly. "That's not true," he told her. "You're the best."

Rachel smiled at him, putting her hand on his chest. "Their boyfriends tell them the same thing, I'm sure." She paused. "But I'm not giving up, Finn. I'm going to go to New York and I'm going to do whatever I have to do- minus sleeping with anyone- to get there."

Finn laughed at her qualifier. "I know you'll make it," he told her.

Rachel sat up on her knees, looking into his eyes. "And I know you will," she said with conviction. "I _know _you will."

Finn leaned up and kissed her softly, his hand cupping the back of her neck. His lips lingered over hers for a moment before he pulled his head back. "You'll help me?"

Rachel smiled at him. "I will do everything I can to help you. So will Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsbury. In the morning we can start looking up some information on schools in New York." She yawned.

Finn rubbed her back. "I'm sorry I woke you up," he told her.

Rachel dropped her head onto his chest, snuggling closer to him. Finn smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm glad you did," she said, her voice slightly muffled. "I always want to know what's going on in that head of yours."

Finn chuckled, his chest moving against her cheek. "Usually it's just about you, naked."

"Finn!" Rachel cried, giggling. "I'm being serious."

"So am I," he told her, grinning.

Rachel raised her head to look at him. "You're the devil," she told him, grinning back at him.

He smirked. "Maybe." He shrugged. "It really is true, though. You're on my mind pretty much all of the time."

"Naked?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Sometimes." He kissed her. "Sometimes I'm thinking about other stuff though."

"Like what?"

"Like how sweet you are. I've never had anyone care so much about me. Well, besides my mom."

"Your mom really is great," Rachel said.

Finn nodded. "And sometimes I think about how great it will be when we're in New York and we can go to ball games and Broadway shows together and all of the things we can see and places we can go there." He looked at her. "And how I'd rather see them with you than any other person in the world."

"You'll go to Broadway plays with me?" Rachel asked, smiling.

"Anytime," he told her. "And sometimes I just think about how lucky I am that you're mine and that you love me."

"I am and I do," she agreed. She hugged him. "I guess," she said slowly, "that since you're going to be doing these things with me…that it's only fair that I try out some of your stuff too."

"What stuff?" he asked.

Rachel sighed. "Maybe I'll play Call of Duty with you. Or watch one of the movies you like to watch."

"Even if people get killed?"

Rachel sighed dramatically. "I guess."

Finn watched her face. "How about a hamburger?"

"No!" she cried, swatting his arm. "Finn, you know better."

He laughed. "I just thought I'd try."

"You failed," she told him. "And actually, if you would just try some of the stuff I make, you're probably like it."

Finn made a face. "That's okay," he told her. "I'll pass."

Rachel sighed. "You sound like Lauren," she said grumpily.

"What?"

"I tried to show her some healthy alternatives to meat today and she wasn't having it."

"She's a meat and potatoes kind of girl," Finn told her.

Rachel didn't want to tell Finn about Lauren's problems so she just shrugged. "Change can be a good thing," she said, repeating what Sam had said earlier.

Finn nodded, thinking about the changes he needed to make in his life. Going with Rachel was something he was going to do, so he needed to start working hard to make sure that happened. It scared him, though. Nothing had ever mattered to him this much and he was afraid he'd screw it up. Looking down into her eyes, though, he felt like he could do anything. Finn Hudson was going to go from the guy that thought he'd gotten his girlfriend pregnant via hot tub to…well, maybe not to a genius. But he was going to get into a school in New York and become someone Rachel could always be proud of. He moved his legs and grimaced.

"Oh no," she said, moving. "Are your legs going to sleep?"

"It's okay," he told her.

"It's not okay," she said, standing up. "Come back to bed, baby," she told him.

Finn looked at a naked Rachel, holding her hand out to him, telling him to come back to bed. Maybe he _had_ gone to sleep, he thought. Maybe this was a dream. Standing up and putting his hand in hers, the warmth of her skin convinced him he was awake. Awake and the luckiest man on the planet.


	21. Chapter 21

When she woke up in the morning, Rachel again reached for Finn. Again he wasn't there. She sighed and turned her head towards his pillow, finding a note.

_Good morning, babe. Mike and the guys are hooking the Xbox's up and we're going to play. Come on down when you get ready. _

_I love you._

Rachel shook her head, smiling. Of course he would get up early to play a video game. She took a shower and got dressed, then headed down to the kitchen to fix something to eat.

"Hey," she said, finding Lauren in the kitchen. "Good morning."

"Nothing good about it," Lauren grumbled, staring out of the kitchen window.

Rachel frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know how to fix any of the stuff we bought," Lauren admitted, not looking at Rachel.

Rachel nodded in understanding. "Want me to help?" she asked.

Lauren finally looked at her. "Will you be annoying?"

A bark of laughter escaped Rachel's lips. "Ahem. Sorry," she said, going to the fridge. "And to answer your question," she said, getting some stuff out, "probably."

Lauren shook her head and came over to the fridge. "Figures," she said, but she smiled slightly when Rachel looked over at her.

Getting all of the ingredients together, Rachel explained to the other woman what to do. Lauren had found a pad of paper beside the phone and used it to write down Rachel's instructions. Rachel made Lauren do the mixing and the flipping, and when they were finished, they had made enough vegan blueberry coconut pancakes for the whole house. "And now for the taste test," Rachel said, setting a plate of them in front of Lauren.

Lauren grimaced and took a bite, chewing it slowly. "Hey," she said, grinning. "This is really good!"

Rachel smiled at her. "I knew you'd like them," she told her.

Lauren ate some more, then looked over at Rachel, who was eating her own. "Thanks, Berry." Rachel nodded her head. "And you weren't even very annoying."

"Good," Rachel said, beaming.

"I knew you were up," Finn told her, coming into the kitchen. "I could smell your blueberry coconut pancakes." He walked over to her, leaning down for a kiss.

Rachel kissed him back, then nodded her head in Lauren's direction. "Lauren made them," she told him.

Finn looked at the other woman. "Is she revealing all of her secrets?" he asked, getting a plate of pancakes.

"Some of them," Lauren told him. "She's actually a really good cook."

Finn nodded. "She's good at everything," he said, finishing three pancakes off in lightning speed.

"Finn!" Sam yelled from the living room. "It's time!"

Finn quickly stuffed an entire pancake in his mouth while he jumped out of his chair. Kissing Rachel on the head, he said, "Come into the living room whenever you're done. You can be on my team."

"Do I have to?" Rachel asked, pouting.

Finn laughed, walking out of the room. "Yes. Lauren, you come too."

The women watched him leave and then Rachel went back to eating her pancakes. "I've gotta admit," Lauren said after a few moments, "I'm jealous."

Rachel looked up, startled. "What?"

Lauren shrugged, eating more pancakes. "You never changed who you were and you still ended up with it all."

Rachel looked towards the living room, where she could hear the boys yelling at each other. "I'm just lucky."

"It's not luck," Lauren disagreed. "It's who you are."

Rachel shrugged, looking down. "I was so alone for so long." She looked at the other girl. "Sometimes I can't believe this is my life now." She looked at Lauren. "You'll be happy too," she promised the other woman.

"That's what I keep telling myself," Lauren muttered.

Sam and Puck came into the kitchen. "Finn said you two made pancakes?" Sam asked hopefully.

Rachel motioned to the pancakes in the center of the table and they both got plates. "How you feeling, babe?" Puck asked Lauren.

Lauren looked over at Rachel. "Well, thanks to Ms. Rachel Berry, I no longer feel like my world is ending."

Puck winked at Rachel. "That's got to be a good thing." He cut off a piece of pancake and eyed it. "What's in this thing?" he asked suspiciously.

Sam moaned loudly. "Oh this is good," he said, putting more pancake in his mouth. "This is so good."

Puck shrugged and took a bite. "Nice job, ladies," he told the two women.

"We do what we can," Rachel told him, putting her plate in the dishwasher with the other dishes.

"Finn said you two are going to come play with us?" Sam asked through a mouthful of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Sam," Rachel told him. "And yes, I guess we're coming to play."

"Not on my team," Puck said. Lauren glared at him. "Hey, I can't help it that I like to win. A couple of noobs like you would make that impossible."

"Noobs?" Rachel asked, making a face.

"Newbies."

She put her hands on her hips. "Finn will be on my team. And this is _another _time you'll be destroyed."

Puck grinned cockily. "We'll see, Berry."

Rachel looked at Lauren. "Let's go kick some ass."

"Right behind you, girl," Lauren told her. When she passed Puck she whispered in his ear, "I've prestiged 7 times. This is going to be fun."

Puck paled and Sam cocked an eyebrow at him. "What did she say?" he asked, finishing up his pancakes.

"We're screwed," Puck told his friend, shaking his head and putting his plate in the dishwasher.

Rachel wasn't surprised at the state of the living room. Furniture had been moved around, empty coke cans and chip bags were strewn everywhere, and the boys didn't even look up when she and Lauren entered. "You guys brought two TVs together for this?" she asked, staring at them.

Artie nodded, not taking his eyes from the screen. "This is what we do, baby," he told her. "We game all day, EVERY DAY COME ON BABY, COME ON!" he finished in a yell, forgetting he was talking to Rachel and instead yelling at the screen.

"Okay, then," Rachel said, looking at Lauren, who just shrugged.

"Come over here," Finn told her, not looking away from the TV.

Rachel sat beside him, trying to figure out what was going on. From what she could tell, the point was to shoot at anything that moved. "When do Lauren and I play?"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Mike yelled from his spot on the floor.

"That's what I'm talking about, baby! That's what I'm talking about right there!" Blaine jumped up and yelled, high fiving Finn.

Rachel looked at Finn. "I'm not sure I should be in here," she told him, a little frightened. In the past two minutes, she'd had more than enough testosterone to last her for quite a while.

"I'm sorry, babe," Finn told her, kissing her on the cheek. "Hey, guys, let's tone it down a little, can we?"

Mike stood up and kicked his controller. "Artie and I are going to eat pancakes," he said sullenly.

"Where's Kurt?" Rachel asked Blaine, who had sat back down.

"Still asleep, I guess," Blaine told her. "Hey, sorry about yelling. I just got excited."

"It's okay," Rachel said, still a little nervous.

"Rachel is on my team," Finn told them.

"I'll take Lauren," Puck said, coming into the room.

"Oh hell no you won't," Lauren told him. She winked at Blaine. "It's me and you, kid."

Blaine shrugged. "I'm okay with that." Puck sighed.

Finn handed Rachel a wireless controller. "Why are there so many buttons?" she asked.

"Because they can do so many things," Finn told her, smiling. He explained what the buttons were and helped her create her own class on his profile.

"Any day now, folks," Lauren complained.

Finn sat up the game and Rachel looked at him. "I'm going to go ahead and apologize for our loss," she told him.

"We've got this," Finn told her.

Rachel smiled but she was nervous. She couldn't remember half the things Finn had told her. When the game started, she walked around a building and Lauren killed her. "You're going down, Berry!" the other girl said, laughing.

Rachel bit her bottom lip and concentrated. She somehow managed to sneak up on Blaine and stab him, but then she died three times in a row. "Stop killing me!" she yelled, frowning at the screen. Another death and Rachel was ready to go to war in the living room of the lake house. "Don't stab me again, Zizes! I mean it!"

Puck and Sam were sitting behind the players, taking turns laughing at Rachel and staring at Lauren in awe. She was good. Rachel yelled and they both jumped. "HA! TAKE THAT!" she screamed after shooting Lauren.

The match ended with Blaine and Lauren wiping the floor with Finn and Rachel. "Cheaters," Rachel said, and then slapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry," she said to them.

Finn's eyes were watering he was laughing so hard. He wrapped his arms around Rachel and buried his face in her hair. "It's okay," he told her. "We'll get them next time."

Rachel was embarrassed over her behavior but had to admit that it had been fun. "So you're all really good, right?" she asked her friends.

"Yeah," Mike said, walking back into the room. "Those pancakes were amazing."

"Thanks," Rachel said distracted. "Can't you all play together against other people?"

"There's not enough competition if we do that," Artie told her. "We just dominate and it's over."

"How are we not Xbox live friends?" Blaine was asking Lauren.

"That's what I want to know," Puck said.

Lauren shrugged. "I didn't know you guys gamed."

"Oh, we game," Artie told her.

"We could do some serious damage together," Lauren said, grinning. The guys nodded.

Finn was watching Rachel. "What?" he asked her.

"Could we play other people when I play?"

He nodded. "Sure. Why?"  
>"Well, first of all I'd like to win," she admitted. "Secondly, I don't like threatening to kill my friends."<p>

Finn laughed. "We can do that."

Rachel smiled at him. "Let's play again, then!"

Finn nodded. "Who wants to play with Rachel and I against nameless, faceless people Rachel doesn't mind wanting to kill?" Rachel elbowed him and he laughed again.

"We're up," Sam said. Puck nodded.

After a while, Rachel started getting two or three kills a game. She was still terrible and had never had a killstreak, but she was happy with her progress. "This is fun," she told Finn as they sat back and watched Mike and Artie lay a beating on Sam and Puck.

"I told you you'd like it," he said.

Rachel nodded in agreement. Watching her friends, she smiled. "I hope we stay like this."

"We will."

"High school can be mean," she reminded him.

"We're fourteen people. We're a big group. And we really care about each other." He looked at her. "Why do you keep worrying about this?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"You've brought this up before. Why do you think things are going to change when school starts?"

"Because it did last year," she admitted.

Finn frowned. "You don't trust me?" he asked.

"No, I do," she told him. She looked into his eyes. "You're different now." She looked over at their friends. "I just hope everyone else is too."

"They are," Finn told her, holding her hand.

Rachel stood up. "Let's go for a walk," she said.

"Okay," Finn said, standing up and stretching.

"Anyone else want to go for a walk?" she asked their friends.

"No," Mike, Puck and Artie said.

"I'll go," Lauren told them. "I need to get out of the house for a while."

"I'll go too," Sam said. "I've eaten too many pancakes."

"Yeah," Blaine agreed, standing up and stretching.

"We'll be back," Rachel told the others. Puck waved her off. Rolling her eyes, she laughed. Walking through the house they were quiet so they didn't wake anyone else up. "How are they still asleep with all of the screaming that's been going on?" Rachel asked when they got outside.

Finn shrugged, taking her hand. "Must have been tired."

Sam looked out at the lake. "It feels good to be outside."

"I think it feels like an oven," Lauren said.

"It's been a hot summer," Blaine agreed. "Working at King's Island, there were days I thought I was going to pass out from heat exhaustion."

"Was that fun?" Sam asked him.

"It wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be. I never used my free passes." He looked at his friends. "Hey," he said. "We could all go next weekend."

"Really?" Finn asked, excited. "All of us?"

Blaine nodded. "Sure. I've got plenty of free passes."

"So is this going to be a thing?" Lauren asked.

"What?" Blaine asked her.

Lauren looked around at her friends. "Are we all going to keep hanging out together after school starts?"

Rachel looked at Finn knowingly. "I'm hanging out with you guys," Finn said firmly. "All of you. I know that."

Lauren nodded. "Think everyone else will feel like that?"  
>"I do," Sam said. "I know that you guys are my best friends. All of you." He shrugged. "It makes sense that we'll all hang out."<p>

"What if Quinn doesn't want to?" Blaine asked. He knew that Quinn was acting differently now, but he wasn't sure if it was real. He'd heard horror stories from Kurt and was a little leery about the former head cheerleader.

Sam shook his head. "She's really changed. She's not the head cheerleader anymore; she doesn't have that mind set. She's good."

"I guess we'll all see," Blaine said. "But we should definitely go to King's Island next weekend."

Rachel squeezed Finn's hand, grinning up at him.


	22. Chapter 22

"This has probably been the best weekend of my life," Quinn said, sitting beside Rachel on the deck. "Besides the 4-wheeler wreck." She looked at the smaller woman. "How are you guys?"

"We're good," Rachel told her, smiling.

"I heard you threatening to kill Blaine this morning," Quinn said, laughing.

Rachel blushed, embarrassed. "I had no idea what I was saying," she said. "The game just takes you over…" she trailed off, realizing how ridiculous she sounded. "Yeah, I wanted to kill him," she finally admitted with a laugh.

They watched their friends play "touch" football in the back yard. When it came to taking down a girl, it was touch. When they were taking down each other, the boys hit as hard as they could. Rachel shook her head when she watched Mercedes yell at Puck for hitting Mike too hard. "I never saw that coming until the night we went to the club," she told Quinn.

"Me either. I thought she was in love with Sam."

"How's that going?" Rachel asked her.

Quinn shrugged, but couldn't keep the smile off of her face. "It's wonderful," she finally admitted. "Sam is exactly what I needed."

"What?" Rachel asked, noticing that Quinn's smile had turned into a frown.

Quinn sighed, looking out to where Sam was standing. "He's what I need, but what if I'm not what he needs?"

"You're what he needs," Rachel assured her.

"You think so?"

"I do."

"I hope you're right," she said, watching the game. After a moment, she said, "I think our football team is going to be amazing this year."

Rachel nodded. "Me too. Both Kurt and Blaine will be on it, and I heard Lauren say something about trying out. She likes to "bring the pain" at all times," Rachel said, using her fingers as quotes.

"I wouldn't want to go up against her," Quinn said.

"Trust me, it's not a good idea," Santana agreed, coming out to sit by them.

Quinn patted her on the back. "Hey, what's wrong with Brittany?"

"What are you talking about?" Santana asked her.

Quinn nodded her head in the direction of there friends. Brittany was playing, but she didn't seem to be having a good time. Santana sighed. "She's upset about Tina and Artie."

"Dammit," Rachel said. Both women looked at her. "Sorry," Rachel said. "It's just something Finn said." They kept looking at her. Rachel rolled her eyes. "He said that he figured Brittany and Artie would end up back together."

Santana looked over at the game. "How do guys know this stuff?"

"I don't know. They don't even seem to talk to each other," Rachel said.

"They just know," Quinn said.

"What does this mean for Tina?" Santana wondered out loud.

"I think Tina is still figuring herself out," Rachel told them. "She'll be alright."

"I think we'll all be alright," Santana said after a moment. She looked at Rachel. "I hear we're all going to King's Island next weekend?"

Rachel nodded. "Blaine has enough free passes for us all."

Santana sat back on her elbows. "Does this mean I always have to spend time with you people?"

Rachel frowned and Quinn laughed. "She's joking, Rachel."

"Oh," Rachel said, smiling.

"It's not that bad," Santana admitted. "This is the most fun I've had in a long time."

"So…" Quinn said, not looking at Santana. "Where'd you sleep last night?"

"With Puck," Santana told them.

Rachel's head whipped around so she could stare at Santana, mouth open. "What?"

Santana laughed at her and Quinn's expressions. "We didn't have sex," she told them. "Calm down." She shrugged. "We both just have a lot of stuff going on and he was there for me."

"Noah is an amazing guy," Rachel said, watching her friend play football. "I wish he could find someone to love."

Quinn and Santana looked at each other over Rachel's head, then out at Puck. "He'll find someone," Quinn said. "So will you, Satan."

Santana nodded, sighing. The game seemed to be finished. "Who won?" she called to her friends.

Finn looked up at the three girls. "Who do you think?" he asked, grinning cockily.

Rachel jumped down off the deck and into his arms, laughing. "I'm sweaty, babe," he told her. Rachel winked at him and Finn's face grew serious. "Rachel is going to come help me get cleaned up," he told Quinn and Santana, picking Rachel up and carrying her into the house before she could say anything.

"Finn!" Rachel cried, startled. She could hear Santana chuckle from behind them.

Finn didn't say anything and Rachel looked up at his face. "Why are you so serious?"

Finn still didn't say anything, carrying her into their room and shutting the door behind them, making sure to lock it. He reached down and pulled Rachel's shirt over her head, unsnapping and taking off her bra before she realized what he was doing. Not that she was complaining.

Finn pulled his shirt off and unbuttoned his pants, dropping them to the floor. Stepping out of them he grabbed Rachel and lifted her, kissing her neck. Rachel moaned as his teeth scraped her skin and she let her head fall back.

Laying her down on the bed, Finn quickly removed her skirt and panties, trailing kisses up her body as his fingers explored her center. "Finn," she gasped, scared of how quickly her body reached the edge.

Finn looked into her eyes as he plunged into her, smiling slightly as she completely came undone underneath him, bucking and clawing and gasping for breath. Closing his eyes he moved slowly at first, only speeding up when he felt her begin moving again under him. He leaned down to whisper her name in her ear and she again tensed around him, gasping his name. That was all it took for Finn to find his own release, heat soaring through his own body.

When Rachel caught her breath she leaned up on her arm and looked down at him. "What was that?"

"To the victor belong the spoils," he told her.

Rachel laughed, staring at him wide eyed. "What?"

Finn rolled over and smiled at her, tracing her lips with his thumb. "You're my prize."

Rachel leaned closer to him, lightly kissing his lips. "I thought that was _my_ prize?" she asked, smiling.

"We both win," he said. He sighed. "I don't want to leave tomorrow."

Rachel straddled him, kissing his chest. "Me either," she admitted. "I'm excited about school and the Glee Club and getting ready for Sectionals," she ignored Finn's eye roll, "but this is pretty close to perfect."

"Just think, when we get to New York every weekend will be like this," he told her, pulling her down for a kiss.

Rachel looked down at him, sighing. "Something else we need to talk about," she told him.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"If I audition for a role and get it, the hours will be crazy. I'll be at the theater all of the time, practically."

"Okay," he told her, shrugging.

"We won't get to spend a lot of time together," she told him, frowning.

"Rachel, I'm not an idiot. I know that the reason you're going to New York is to be on Broadway. I also know how much time things like that take."

"And you're willing to give up your dreams for me anyway?"

Finn growled. "I'm not giving up anything," he told her firmly, flipping her on her back and crawling on top of her, resting his weight on his arms. "Even if I only get to see you an hour a day, it's more than I'd get if you were there and I was somewhere here." He kissed along her jaw, nipping at her ear lobe. "I'll still get to hold you at night while I'm sleeping."

Rachel smiled softly, kissing him. Her tongue touched his lips and they parted, his tongue meeting hers. Rachel's arms wrapped around his neck as his tongue caressed hers, her knees bending beside his hips. "It's going to be hard being away from you after this," she told him when their lips parted.

Finn groaned. "I know," he agreed. "Maybe I can sneak into your room every night?"

Rachel actually thought about it. "It won't work," she said finally, moaning slightly when his tongue ran over her nipple. "Sometimes my dad will come in and check on me."

Finn raised his head and looked at her. "What?"

Rachel made a face at him and pushed his head back down to her body. Finn laughed against her stomach. "You know how my dad can be. He's a bit over protective."

Finn made a noise of agreement, and then completely forgot what they were talking about. Rachel's body was perfect. Her skin was soft and smooth and tasted unlike anything he'd ever known. Looking at her nipples, Finn traced them with his fingers, watching as they puckered. Rachel was still saying something, but Finn wasn't listening. His hands traced her arms, pulling them out to her side, his fingers running along the soft skin on the underside of them.

Catching her hand in his, Finn brought her fingers to his lips, kissing them one at a time. Setting her hands down, his hands traced their way back to her shoulders. He kissed her collarbone, moving his lips downward to her chest and then lower to her stomach again. Continuing his downward path, Finn kissed the tops of her thighs and her knees, and then moved down to her calves. She even had beautiful feet.

"You're beautiful," he said, making his way back up her body. He traced the sides of the bandage covering her thigh with his fingers, and then kissed the skin lightly. His teeth lightly scraped her thigh bone on the way back up, his tongue bumping over her rib cage. Finally his lips caught hers again, his tongue delving into her mouth, his fingers working their way into her hair.

The sweet and gentle way he touched her moved Rachel. Finn was a rough guy; he played football and basketball, wrestled with his friends, fought whenever he felt like he had to; his hands when they touched her were feather light and reverent, as if she were something precious. Rachel closed her eyes and held on to his arms, the warmth of his body lighting hers on fire.

As if they'd spoken aloud they moved together, holding each other tightly. Finn filled her completely and Rachel met each thrust, warmth slowly coiling in her stomach. They reached the edge and fell over together, still not letting each other go. When Finn moved to his side, he pulled Rachel with him, his arms still around her.

After a moment he said, "Maybe I could hide when he comes in?"

Rachel giggled against him. "I don't think so," she told him.

Finn sighed. "I really am going to miss this."

"We'll still be around each other all of the time," she promised. "While you're at ball practice I have dance class. After that, we're both free." She smiled at him. "And my dads are out of town all of the time."

"Won't they care if I stay over?"

Rachel shook her head. "I talked to both of them about us when I decided to get on birth control. They know we're sleeping together." Finn grimaced. "I think they'll be glad I'm not alone."

"I can't believe how open you are with your parents," Finn told her.

Rachel shrugged. "It's easier with daddy," she admitted. "Dad can be a little gruff and doesn't really want to hear about it. He's the reason you can't stay if they're home."

"Does he even know about this weekend?"

"Oh, yes. Daddy doesn't keep things from dad. Neither do I." She looked at him, smiling. "You've never been bothered by the fact that I have two dads. That's awesome."

"Yeah, just what every guy wants; two angry fathers instead of one."

Rachel elbowed him, laughing. "It hasn't been that bad."

Finn grinned at her. "Your dads are cool. Me and your dad have a lot in common. He's more of a man's man."

"I'm just glad he has someone to talk to about football now. He used to drive me and daddy crazy."

"What about your mom?" Finn asked, watching her.

Rachel sighed. "What about her?"

"You haven't said much about her lately."

Rachel frowned. "There's not much to say," she said. "She's there if I ever really need her…but she has Beth now and it's just sort of odd."

"Think she'll ever come to McKinley?" Rachel had told Finn about asking Shelby to come to McKinley.

"I guess not," she said. "It's been a year and she hasn't. She probably won't."

Finn tightened his arms around her. "Then it's her loss," he told her.

Rachel nodded, stretching. "Do you know what the plan for tonight is?"

"Maybe," he told her, smiling.

"What is it?" she asked suspiciously.

"Can't tell," he told her.

Rachel sat up and looked at him. "What do you mean, you can't tell me?"

"My lips are sealed. I promised."

"You mean that everyone else is planning something and no one wants me to know?"

Finn's smile changed to a look of panic. "No! I mean, yes, but…wait, what?"

Rachel turned her head so he couldn't see her smile. "I guess I don't count?"

"No, baby," he said, rubbing her arms and kissing her back. "It's not that at all."

"Then what is it?" she asked, still not looking at him.

"We're just setting up the karaoke stuff," he told her. "They were afraid that if you knew about it you'd obsess over it and-"

"Karaoke!" Rachel said smiling, whipping her head towards him. "That will be so much fun! I actually brought some CDs I thought we could work on for Sectionals," her voice trailed off as she watched his face. She sighed. "That's why no one told me, right?"

Finn made a face, shrugging. "Maybe," he admitted.

Rachel lay back on the bed, sighing. "I'm a freak," she moaned.

Finn kissed her. "You know what?" he asked. She shook her head. "We could probably sing some of those songs without the others knowing what you're trying them for."

Rachel's smile widened and she wrapped her arms around him. "I love you," she told him, laughing. Before he could say anything else she jumped out of bed and ran over to her bag, pulling out a couple of CD holders. She looked over at him. "Wanna help me pick some out?"

Finn shook his head, getting up. She really was sort of crazy. He loved that about her.


	23. Chapter 23

Santana and Brittany were hanging white lights around the deck. "I think karaoke is a good idea, Brit," Santana told her friend. Karaoke and all of the decorations had been her idea.

Brittany nodded. "I wonder if everyone has forgotten how good I am?"

Santana laughed. "I doubt it."

"Yeah, they wouldn't forget that," Brittany agreed. She looked at Santana. "I came by your room last night to talk but you weren't there."

Santana dropped her arms. "I'm sorry," she told her friend. "I was with Puck."

Brittany shrugged. "I figured you were."

"Really? Why?" Santana hadn't even known she was actually going to Puck's room until she was there.

"I saw you guys talking at the bonfire. I know you've been lonely, so it made sense that since he's lonely too you would be together."

Santana frowned. "We both look really lonely?"

"Pretty much," Brittany said, hanging her strand. "You have for a while now." She turned to look at her friend. "I am so proud of you for coming out to everyone here, Santana. I don't know if I told you that."

Santana laughed lowly. "I guess everyone already knew."

Brittany nodded. "Yeah. It was still important for you to say it."

"What about you?" Santana asked her.

"I guess I'm going to do what I said I was going to do," Brittany said after a few minutes. "I'm going to be free for a while."

"What about Artie and Tina?"

"I was watching them last night too. They seem really happy." Brittany looked at Santana. "I'm happy for them."

"You're such a nice person, Brit," Santana told her, hanging her own strand. "I wish I was more like you."

"You need to just be happy with who you are, Santana," Brittany told her, jumping down from her chair and walking toward the house. "I've been trying to tell you that."

Santana stared at the lights she was hanging, thinking about what Brittany said. She was never going to be a nice person; she just didn't have it in her. But now she cared about so many people and it felt good. They seemed to like her, regardless of how bitchy she was. Maybe they just accepted it? And if they could accept her for who she was…maybe who she was wasn't that bad.

"Brittany's right," she heard from behind her. She turned around to see Sam.

"What are you talking about, Mouth?" she asked him.

"You need to just accept who you are and be happy with it."

"Wait until I get a microphone," she warned him. "You'll hear all four versus of Trouty Mouth."

Sam grinned at her. "You don't scare me."

Santana frowned. "Why not?" Sam just laughed and shook his head, setting the amp he was carrying down. She made a face at him.

"Rachel is down. Finn let the cat out of the bag."

"I knew he would," Santana said, sighing. "I can't believe she's not out here trying to run things."

"She's literally sitting on her hands. I think she's trying to mellow out a little."

"She needs to mellow out a _lot_," Santana muttered.

"She's getting there."

Santana really didn't have anything else to say so she turned back to the lights. When the sun went down, the deck was going to look fantastic. Brittany always came up with such good ideas. They were using white lights on the deck, and the boys were setting up a small dance floor below it. The singers would be on top, the dancers down below. Nice.

"What are you going to sing?" Tina asked Santana, bringing out another armful of lights.

"I'm not sure yet," Santana told her, not turning around. "What about you?"

"I'm not sure yet either."

"Think you'll be able to finish it?" Santana asked her. It was a well known fact that Tina had trouble getting through songs lately.

Tina sat down on the deck. "I think I'm over that," she said, laughing. "I don't know why I let myself get so worked up."

"It's easy to do," Santana told her.

"I've never really seen you get worked up," Tina told her.

"I've had a lot of practice hiding it," Santana told her, looking over her shoulder briefly.

"Tina," Mercedes called from inside the house. Tina groaned.

"You and Mercedes good?" Santana asked her.

"Yeah," Tina told her, standing back up. "She's my best friend. I know she didn't mean to hurt me."

"Did it hurt you?"

Tina sighed. "Not as much as it should have," she said, walking back into the house. Santana shook her head.

"What are you going to sing first?" Blaine asked Rachel inside the house.

"I'm not sure," Rachel told him, watching her friends move around, getting everything together.

Blaine chuckled. "This is driving you crazy, isn't it?"

"Maybe a little," Rachel admitted, sighing. "I could help without taking over," she told him.

Blaine watched their friends, and then looked at her, grinning. "Could you?"

Rachel stomped her foot. "Probably not," she said.

"Little Diva, what seems to be the problem?" Kurt asked, stopping in front of her.

"I want to help," she told him.

"We're taking care of it," Kurt promised her. "I even have a surprise planned for you."

"Really?" Rachel asked, grinning. "What is it?"

Kurt shook his head and looked at Blaine. "I've got to run. Teach her the meaning of the word surprise while I'm gone, will you?"

Blaine nodded, standing to kiss Kurt. When Blaine started to pull away Kurt grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Rachel couldn't look away, though she knew she really, _really _should. Passion, in any form, made her happy.

She realized she'd sighed out loud when the two men broke up, smiling at each other. "Don't mind me," she told them.

Kurt rolled his eyes, waving at them as he walked off. Blaine sat back down, still smiling. "You really love him, don't you?" Rachel asked.

Blaine nodded. "I do." He looked at her. "As much as I enjoyed kissing you, Rachel dear, I'm glad I realized where my heart belonged."

Rachel laughed. "I'm happy for you two. Kurt really needed someone, and you're perfect."

"Like you and Finn," Blaine agreed. "I have to admit, if I'd realized how much you two loved each other at your party I wouldn't have spent the night kissing you."

Rachel sat back on the couch, frowning. "I don't think Finn loved me then," she said softly.

Blaine looked at her, making a face. "Come on, Rachel, you know better than that."

She looked at him. "Do you think it's possible to be in love with someone and not want to be with them?"

"Sure," Blaine told her. "There are lots of instances when that can happen. If your boyfriend cheats on you, you'll still love him but you probably won't want to be with him." Rachel grimaced and Blaine shook his head. "My bad."

Rachel shook her head. "I'm just lucky he finally forgave me."

"And he's lucky you'd still have him when he made up his mind," Blaine told her. "That's the way the world works."

Rachel smiled at him. "I guess it is."

"Want to play a quick game of Black Ops?" he asked her.

Rachel looked around to see if any of their friends were looking. "Let's go," she said, giggling.

Finn watched the two run off, smiling. He was glad they were friends, though he'd spent the entire week after Rachel's party hating the other guy. When Kurt had started dating him, Finn had still disliked him. Once he realized how great Blaine was, though, he just couldn't dislike him anymore. And Finn had finally realized that if he hadn't been so stubborn and broken up with Rachel in the first place, no one else would have had the chance to kiss her. "He making time with your woman?" Puck asked Finn as he walked by him. "Again?"

"It looks that way," Finn told him, grinning. "I'm not worried."

Puck dumped the wires he was carrying into Finn's arms. "Good. Take these outside and hook them up."

"Yes, sir," Finn said, walking out of the house.

Puck watched him go for a moment, and then shook his head, walking back toward Quinn. "How much shit are we getting out?" he asked her.

Quinn looked up from the wires she was sorting out in the closet floor. "All of it," she said with a smile. "We're going to be LOUD."

Puck couldn't help but smile. "That's the way I like it," he said.

After three rounds of Black Ops Domination (Rachel was good at capturing flags if Blaine stood with her and killed anyone that came up), they heard their friends calling for them. "I think they're ready!" she told him. Rachel was excited. She loved to sing and she loved to dance and she loved her friends. This was going to be a good night.

Blaine and Rachel walked through the now dark house towards the back deck. The sun had gone down just moments ago and Rachel could see the glow of the lights from the door. "Oh Blaine, it's beautiful," she breathed.

When she got to the door she heard the opening notes of a song she knew by heart. Finn was standing on the deck, holding one microphone to his mouth and smiling at her, the other microphone outstretched towards her. Blaine walked across the deck and down the stairs to Kurt, hugging his boyfriend. "Surprise!" Kurt mouthed to Rachel. She looked back to Finn, who began singing "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera.

"_No more talk of darkness,__  
><em>_Forget these wide-eyed fears.__  
><em>_I'm here, nothing can harm you -__  
><em>_my words will warm and calm you.__  
><em>_Let me be your freedom,__  
><em>_let daylight dry -your tears.__  
><em>_I'm here, with you, beside you,__  
><em>_to guard you and to guide you . . ."_

Moved to tears, Rachel took the microphone from him and sang,

"_Say you love me every waking moment,__  
><em>_turn my head with talk of summertime . . ._

_Say you need me with you, now and always . . .__  
><em>_promise me that all you say is true -__  
><em>_that's all I ask of you . . ."_

Finn smiled back at her as their friends danced on the makeshift dance floor, taking Rachel's hand and putting it over his heart, singing,

"_Let me be your shelter,__  
><em>_let me be your light.__  
><em>_You're safe:__  
><em>_No-one will find you__  
><em>_your fears are far behind you . . ."_

Not looking away from him, Rachel sang,

"_All I want is freedom,__  
><em>_a world with no more night . . .__  
><em>_and you always beside me__  
><em>_to hold me and to hide me . . ."_

Finn pulled her closer as he sang,

"_Then say you'll share with me one__  
><em>_love, one lifetime . . .__  
><em>_let me lead you from your solitude . . .__  
><em>_Say you need me with you__here, beside you . . .__  
><em>_anywhere you go,let me go too -__  
>Rachel<em>_, that's all I ask of you . . ."_

Rachel sang,

"_Say you'll share with__me _

_One love, one lifetime . . .__  
><em>_say the word and I will follow you . . ."_

Looking into each others eyes and smiling, they sang together,

"_Share each day with__  
><em>_me, each night, each morning . . ."_

Rachel nodded to him,

"_Say you love me . . ."_

Finn kissed her softly,

"_You know I do."_

Rachel touched his cheek, and together they sang,

"_Love me, that's all I ask of you…_

_Anywhere you go let me go too…_

_Love me-_

_That's all I ask of you."_

Their friends erupted in applause, Quinn and Santana both wiping tears from their cheeks. "That was amazing," Rachel told Finn.

"Kurt helped me," he told her, smiling. "I know how much you like that song."

"It was perfect," she said, kissing him again.

"Okay, okay," Artie said from the dance floor. "Someone throw me that mic. It's time to get this party started!" Rachel and Finn laughed and their friends cheered. They walked to the dance floor as the song "This Is How We Do It" started. When Finn concentrated only on Rachel, he danced much better. Rachel didn't tell him that, though, because she was afraid it would make him concentrate too much and step on her toes again.

As the night wore on, Rachel had more fun than she'd thought possible…without being in complete control. Some of the songs were silly, some were sad, some were ridiculous. She sang with Finn, Kurt, Blaine, Santana, Mercedes, Quinn and Puck. She danced with everyone, but moved back to Finn as often as she could.

"I've got one I heard on the radio on the way here from the hospital I want to sing to you," Finn told her.

"Okay," she told him, following him to the deck. Mike was finishing up "That's Life" by Frank Sinatra. He was singing a lot better lately. Rachel hugged him as he left the stage.

They stood on the deck and Finn started the song "Honey Bee" by Blake Shelton. Looking at Rachel he started,

"_Girl, I been thinkin' 'bout us__  
><em>_And you know I ain't good at this stuff__  
><em>_These feelings pilin' up won't give me no rest__  
><em>_This might come out a little crazy__  
><em>_A little sideways, yeah maybe__  
><em>_I don't know how long it'll take me but I'll do my best__  
><em>_If you'll be my soft and sweet__  
><em>_I'll be your strong and steady__  
><em>_You'll be my glass of wine__  
><em>_I'll be your shot of whiskey__  
><em>_You'll be my sunny day__  
><em>_I'll be your shade tree__  
><em>_You'll be my honeysuckle__  
><em>_I'll be your honey bee__  
><em>_Yeah, that came out a little country__  
><em>_But every word was right on the money__  
><em>_And I got you smilin' honey right back at me__  
><em>_Now hold on cause I ain't done__  
><em>_There's more where that came from__  
><em>_Well you know I'm just havin' fun, but seriously__  
><em>_If you'll be my Louisiana__  
><em>_I'll be your Mississippi__  
><em>_You'll be my little Loretta__  
><em>_I'll be your Conway Twitty__  
><em>_You'll be my sugar baby__  
><em>_I'll be your sweet iced tea__  
><em>_You'll be my honeysuckle__  
><em>_I'll be your honey bee."_

Rachel danced as he sang, loving every lyric. She'd never heard Finn sing country and was surprised at how good he was. She immediately realized that she shouldn't be surprised, because Finn was good at everything. When he finished she jumped into his arms, kissing him.

"I'm guessing you liked it?" he asked, laughing.

"I loved it," she told him. "We are _so _winning Nationals this year."

Finn laughed with her, carrying her down to the dance floor. "It's time to get our Top 40 on, y'all," Puck told them. He, Artie and Santana stood on the deck. The music for "Give Me Everything Tonight" started and Artie yelled into the mic, "Get ready to dance!" He started the song,

"_Tonight I will love love you tonight__  
><em>_Give me everything tonight__  
><em>_For all we know we might not get tomorrow__  
><em>_Let's do it tonight__  
><em>_I will love love you tonight__  
><em>_Give me everything tonight__  
><em>_For all we know we might not get tomorrow__  
><em>_Lets do it tonight."_

Santana took the mic from him and sang, _  
>"<em>_Don't care what they say__  
><em>_All the games they play__  
><em>_Nothing is enough__  
><em>_Till they handle love (Lets do it tonight)__  
><em>_I want you tonight, I want you today__  
><em>_I want you tonight."_

Artie smiled at her, taking the mic back, singing, _  
>"<em>_Grab somebody sexy tell 'em hey__  
><em>_Give me everything tonight__  
><em>_Give me everything tonight__  
><em>_Give me everything tonight__  
><em>_Give me everything tonight."_

Puck sang into his mic,_  
>"<em>_Get busy tonight__  
><em>_Cuz tomorrow I'm of to Duabi to perform for a Princess__  
><em>_But tonight I can make you my queen__  
><em>_And make love to you endless__  
><em>_This is insane, the way the name growin', money keep flowin'__  
><em>_Hustlers move aside, so I'm tiptoein, keep flowin'__  
><em>_I got it locked up like Lindsay Lohan__  
><em>_Put it on my life baby__  
><em>_I can make you feel right baby__  
><em>_I can't promise tomorrow__  
><em>_But I promise tonight__  
><em>_Excuse me__  
><em>_But I might drink a little more than I should tonight__  
><em>_And I might take you home with me if I could tonight__  
><em>_And baby I'ma make you feel so good tonight__  
><em>_We might not get tomorrow_

Artie picked up, _  
>"<em>_Tonight I will love love you tonight__  
><em>_Give me everything tonight__  
><em>_For all we know we might not get tomorrow__  
><em>_Lets do it tonight__  
><em>_I will love love you tonight__  
><em>_Give me everything tonight__  
><em>_For all we know we might not get tomorrow."_

As they sang, Rachel and Finn danced. When Artie said "Grab somebody sexy" he grabbed Rachel, pulling her to him as she laughed. The night was electric. Lightning bugs danced around the deck, lighting up the dark. A slight breeze brushed over their bodies, cooling them down. With the reminder of the wreck and the fact that they really might _not _get tomorrow, the group danced as if this was the last night they had.


	24. Chapter 24

"I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever," Rachel said, sitting down beside Puck. "Are you done singing?"

Puck shrugged, looking over at her. "I may sing another one later."

Rachel looked up at the stage where Tina and Finn were singing some song she'd never heard; for Rachel to have never heard of it, it had to be fairly obscure. "This has been a really great night," she said.

Puck nodded. "Your songs have been really good."

"So have yours," she said, watching him. "What's going on, Noah?"

"Why do you call me Noah, Rachel?" he asked her, sighing.

Rachel looked confused. "Because that's your name."

He shook his head, smiling into the darkness. "No one else calls me Noah."

"I'm not like everyone else."

Puck looked at her. "I know you're not," he told her softly.

Rachel sucked in a breath. "Noah…"

"What? I can't look at you?"

Rachel shook her head, watching his face. After a moment, she said, "Oh, Noah…"

"Leave it alone, Rachel," he told her.

Rachel put her hand on his arm. "I care about you so much," she told him.

Puck shook her hand off of his arm, looking out into the darkness again. "I know, Rachel. It's Finn for you. It's always been Finn."

"I'm so sorry," she told him.

"Don't be sorry," he told her. "At least one of us gets what we want."

"Is this why you've been avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you," he told her. "You guys have just been busy." He wagged his eyebrows at her.

Rachel elbowed him. "Not appropriate," she told him, but she couldn't help but smile.

Puck looked to where Finn was finishing up his song. "If something ever happens…" He looked at her and smiled.

Rachel's eyes held his. "You'll find someone," she told him. "I'm sure of it."

"I've already found her," he told her, standing up. "It was just too late."

Rachel stood too, touching his chest. "I didn't know," she told him.

"Would it have mattered if you had known?"

"I don't know," she said honestly. She looked over at Finn. "With Finn, it's just…"

"Love," Puck finished for her. "I know, Rachel. I've always known." He ran his hand over his head. "I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry."

"You didn't say anything," Rachel reminded him. "I wish there was some way I could fix this," she said, frowning. "But I can't."

"I'm working on it," he told her.

"Does this mean we can't be friends?"

Puck smiled at her. "We'll always be friends, Rach."

"I feel like I'm going to lose you," she admitted sadly.

"This weekend has been hard," he told her. "I finally realize that I'm never going to have you. It's time for me to move on."

"I'm so sorry," she said again.

Puck took her hand and kissed it, letting it down gently at her side. "At least now I know that I can love, right? Maybe there's hope for me."

"You're amazing, Noah," Rachel told him.

"Remember that you thought that when I kill Hummel for painting something of mine pink in New York," he told her.

Rachel laughed. "He can't help it. It's like a sickness."

Puck groaned. "I still don't know how good of an idea New York is going to be," he admitted.

"It's a great idea," Rachel told him.

"I guess we'll see," he said.

"Thank you, Noah," Rachel said softly.

"For what?"

"For loving me. For being my friend. For standing by me."

Puck smiled at her. "Anytime, Berry."

"Hey," Finn said, walking up to them.

"Hey," Rachel said, smiling at him.

Puck nodded to him. "Nice song," he told his friend.

"I can't believe Tina knew it," Finn told them. "No one but my mom knows that song."

"I'm just glad she can sing an entire song now," Puck said. "That crying shit was annoying."

"Such a gentlemen," Rachel said.

Puck winked at her. "Always," he said, walking towards their friends.

"What were you two talking about?" Finn asked, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back to his chest.

Rachel sighed. "Stuff."

"Stuff, huh?" Finn said, kissing her neck. Heat immediately shot through her body and she turned around to face him.

"Stuff," she repeated.

"Why do you look so sad?" he asked her. He watched her face for a moment, and then sighed. "Did Puck tell you he loves you?"

Rachel put her face in his chest. "Maybe."

"Why does that make you sad?"

"Because I don't love him back," she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. "Not like that."

Finn nodded. "I'm sorry, Rach," he told her. "I know how much it bothers you when he's unhappy."

Rachel looked at Finn. "Aren't you upset that I'm upset that he's upset?"

Finn looked at her for a minute, trying to figure out what she'd just said. "No," he said after a moment. "I get it. It bothers me, too." He looked down at her and smiled crookedly. "But you're mine. I don't deserve you and I've messed up so many times…but you love me and I'm selfish enough to take it and keep it forever."

Rachel smiled up at him. "I do love you," she said, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"I know," Finn told her. And he did. Before, he'd spent a lot of his time with Rachel being jealous. Now he knew there was no reason to be. Rachel loved him. She'd given herself to him in every way she could. He was done wasting his time worrying that someone else might come along and catch her eye.

Rachel looked towards the dance floor and the deck, watching her friends dance together. Sam picked Quinn up and spun her around, both of them laughing. Santana was dancing with Puck, both looking happier than they had all weekend. Tina sat in Artie's lap as he rolled around Mercedes and Mike, who were dancing closely together. Kurt, Blaine, Lauren and Brittany were singing, everyone laughing and happy. "I wish I could remember this moment forever," she told Finn.

Finn took out his cell phone, turning on the camera and holding it up high. Taking the picture, he turned it over. "Oh Finn, that's perfect!" she cried, looking at it. In the picture his arm was wrapped around her and they were both smiling. In the back ground all of their friends were visible and smiling, though none of them were looking at the camera. "We should frame it and hang it in the choir room," she told him. "All of the Glee Clubs that come after us can see how much fun we had…what a family we were."

Finn sent the picture to her email address. "Mr. Schue will like that."

"I like it too," she told him. "I think that I'll keep this picture on my nightstand when I get to New York. It will remind me that no matter how hard or poorly things start out," she looked at him, "there's always hope that it will turn around and be even better than you ever dreamed it would be."

"I always hear people talking about how high school is the best years of your life," Finn told her as the walked back up to the dance floor. "I didn't believe it until now."

"Hey!" Quinn said, stopping beside them. "Are you guys having a good time?"

"This is great, Quinn," Rachel told her.

"I'm glad we were able to do this," Quinn said. "Until now, this place had such bittersweet memories for me." She looked at them. "Oh my gosh, I just had the greatest idea!"

Rachel, Finn and Sam looked at her as she ran up to the stage and waited for the song to end. Taking the microphone from Kurt, she looked at all of her friends. "I have had such a good time this weekend," she told them. Several of their friends cheered. "I know that none of us really started out as friends, but that's what we are now. And I think that since this has been so much fun, we should do it every summer!" Rachel looked at Finn, who was grinning. She started to say something and Quinn cut her off. "No you don't, Rachel Berry," she said. "You are going to come here every summer and you're going to like it!"

Rachel laughed. "Okay," she said.

"Let me hear you promise," Quinn told her. She then looked at all of their friends. "Let me hear you all promise!" When they'd all promised they'd come back to the lake house every summer, Quinn smiled. "I probably seem like a crazy person. But I was just thinking about how hard life can be and how much things can change…I don't want us to forget each other. We all know that after high school ends we're all going to go our separate ways. I don't want to forget you. And I don't want you to all forget me."

While Quinn was speaking, Rachel went over to the music and started looking for a specific song. Quinn looked back at her. "I know what you're talking about," Rachel told her. "I didn't have a single friend until Glee Club." She looked out at all of her friends. "You guys will never know how much you mean to me. We're getting ready to be seniors. _Seniors_! We have so much to look forward to…and so much to be a little scared of. We all know how things are at our school; things aren't fair for us. For some reason, the other kids just don't like us. I'm sure that we'll all get a slushie or two this year."

"I'm scared of how other people are going to treat me when they find out I'm a lesbian," Santana admitted. "I don't like to be scared of anything. I just don't want to be treated like a leper." Puck put his arm around her.

"I'm afraid of not getting accepted to a good school," Artie told them. "I'm smart and I've got good grades, but what if that's not good enough?"

"You're going to be fine," Tina assured him. "We can work together to figure out what we need to do to make sure it happens."

"I'm afraid that I'll forget who I am," Mercedes told them. "It's so easy to change who you are to fit in. I almost lost myself once and I didn't even realize it was happening. What if it happens again?"

"I won't let it," Mike told her, kissing her lightly on the lips. "I love who you are now. I'm not going to let her go."

"I'm afraid I don't know who I am," Quinn admitted. "I know that I'm more than a cheerleader, but it was something I loved doing. I'm afraid to try to go back to it because I'm afraid I'll turn back into a mindless zombie."

"Not going to happen, sweetheart," Sam told her.

"I'm afraid everyone will hate me when they realize their boyfriends want me," Brittany said. "It's not my fault I'm the hottest girl in the school." Santana laughed, holding her hand.

"I'm afraid I'm going to wake up and all this was a dream," Rachel admitted. "Like now that I have you all," she looked at Finn, "you'll disappear and I'll be alone again."

"That's not going to happen either," Finn told her, stepping up to her and wrapping his arms around her. "We'll be there for each other," he told her, then looked at their friends. "We'll all be there for each other."

Rachel smiled. "I have the perfect song for this," she said, ignoring some of the moans from her friends. The music started and she sang,

"_When you're down and troubled__  
><em>_and you need a helping hand,__  
><em>_and nothing, whoa nothing is going right.__  
><em>_Close your eyes and think of me__  
><em>_and soon I will be there__  
><em>_to brighten up even your darkest nights."__  
><em>Quinn held her hand out to Sam, picking up the lyrics,_  
>"<em>_You just call out my name,__  
><em>_and you know wherever I am__  
><em>_I'll come running, oh yeah baby__  
><em>_to see you again."_

Mike, Mercedes, Tina and Artie all sang,_  
>"<em>_Winter, spring, summer, or fall,__  
><em>_all you got to do is call__  
><em>_and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.__  
><em>_You've got a friend."__  
><em>Puck sang next,_  
>"<em>_If the sky above you__  
><em>_should turn dark and full of clouds__  
><em>_and that old north wind should begin to blow."_

Santana leaned her head on his shoulder, still holding Brittany's hand and sang,_  
>"<em>_Keep your head together and call my name out loud now__  
><em>_and soon I'll be knocking upon your door."_

Lauren and Brittany sang,_  
>"<em>_You just call out my name and you know where ever I am__  
><em>_I'll come running to see you again."_

Sam nodded at Finn and they sang together,_  
>"<em>_Winter, spring, summer or fall__  
><em>_all you got to do is call__  
><em>_and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah."__  
><em>Rachel and Quinn sang,_  
>"<em>_Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend?__  
><em>_People can be so cold.__  
><em>_They'll hurt you and desert you.__  
><em>_Well they'll take your soul if you let them.__  
><em>_Oh yeah, but don't you let them.__  
><em>Standing outside of the lake house, the Glee Club sang,_  
><em>_You just call out my name and you know wherever I am__  
><em>_I'll come running to see you again.__  
><em>_Oh babe, don't you know that,__  
><em>_Winter spring summer or fall,__  
><em>_Hey now, all you've got to do is call.__  
><em>_Lord, I'll be there, yes I will.__  
><em>_You've got a friend.__  
><em>_You've got a friend.__  
><em>_Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.__  
><em>_Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.__  
><em>_You've got a friend."_

From the front of the house, Will and Emma listened to them. "It's beautiful," Emma said softly. "Are we going to go around?" They'd come to tell the kids that Figgins and April had arranged for the children to fly to New York to watch her hit play; she'd even created a special scene in which the kids were going to be on stage, performing in front of the audience. Figgins had given the okay for the trip to be considered a school activity, so any school work they missed in the week they were gone could be made up. Knowing how excited Rachel and Kurt would be, Will had wanted to let them know as soon as possible.

"We'll wait until school starts to give them the good news. They seem happy enough right now." His heart was full of love for his kids. He knew that no matter how many Glee Clubs he taught, this one would forever be special to him. He would never forget the kids singing so beautifully in the back yard.


	25. Chapter 25

"I can't believe all of the things that have happened in the last four days," Rachel told Finn as she brushed her teeth.

Finn stopped packing his bag and walked to the bathroom door, crossing his arms over his bare chest and watching her. "You're pretty happy with yourself, aren't you?"

Rachel spit toothpaste into the sink and smiled at him in the mirror. "Maybe."

"You do realize that you didn't have anything to do with our friends pairing up the way you wanted them to, right?"

Rachel rinsed her mouth out and turned off the water. "I did too."

"Oh yeah? How so?"

Rachel dried her hands off on a towel and turned around to face him. "Seeing me so happy and in love is obviously what made everyone else want to be happy and in love."

Finn snorted. "Really, Rach?" he said, laughing.

"Well, maybe not," she admitted. She walked to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "But can't I pretend?"

Finn uncrossed his arms and put them around her, kissing her on the forehead. "You can believe whatever you want," he told her, smiling.

"Then that's what I believe," she told him, resting her head on his chest. "I don't want to leave," she said after a moment.

"I don't either," he said, his arms tightening around her.

"I don't want this summer to end." She looked up at him. "I can't believe that I, Rachel Berry, am saying that."

Finn pushed her hair from her face. "I can't believe you're saying that either."

"I won't have you around all day. That makes me sad."

"We'll be with each other quite a bit. Remember how we had so many classes together last year? We'll have classes together this year, too. And then we'll have lunch together and Glee together and after our practices we'll be together."

Rachel smiled up at him. "What if that's not enough?" she asked.

Finn chuckled. "I love you," he told her softly.

Rachel sighed. "That doesn't answer my question," she told him. "I love that you love me, though," she told him.

"I've loved you since I met you, Rach, but it's different now." He bent his head to kiss her lightly. "I don't think I really understood how I felt in the beginning." He looked at her, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. "I do now."

"Yeah?" she asked him, her eyes on his lips. "It's the same for me."

"Really?" he asked, and she looked up to find his eyes with hers.

"What?"

"You just always seemed…so sure," he told her. "It scared me a little."

"I have that effect on people at times," Rachel said.

Finn lifted her, smiling. "_You_ didn't scare me. The way you felt scared me."

"Does that make any sense?" she asked him.

Sitting her down, he shrugged. "It does to me. You've always seemed to care so much, to love so fiercely. I've never been like that. I've always been more of a halfway guy."

"Oh, I see what you're saying," she told him. "Yeah, I guess maybe I did come on a little strong." She frowned.

Finn took her face in his hands. "No, Rachel, you didn't. It was always me and how I felt. I never felt like I measured up to you, that I was always falling short in my feelings."

"So you didn't love me as much as I loved you," Rachel said quietly. "I get it."

Finn sighed, frustrated. "That's not what I'm saying at all," he told her. "I loved you. I've always loved you. But I wasn't sure enough of myself to give my heart completely and totally. And now that I can…it makes things completely different."

"How?"

"I know who I am now. I'm happy with myself. And since I'm happy with myself, I can be finally be happy with you." He looked at her. "And I am, Rachel. I'm the happiest I've ever been."

Rachel smiled at him. "Even with all of my crazy?"

Finn laughed, holding her again. "You're not really crazy, babe. You're just driven. Passionate."

"Mmm hmm," Rachel murmured, rubbing his arms with her hands. "I'm going to miss being with you like this, though. I love being able to hold you and kiss you."

"This isn't going to change," he told her. He leaned down, kissing her, his tongue caressing hers. Lifting his head he said, "I'm just hoping I can keep my hands off of you while we're at school."

Rachel groaned. "I don't want to have to keep my hands off of you," she told him.

"These are the things I like to hear," Finn told her, grinning. "These are also the things that make it hard for me to keep my hands off of you."

Rachel looked around their bedroom, then leaned closer to him to whisper, "I don't think anyone in here would care if you had your hands on me."

Finn looked around. "You think it's safe?"

"I think it probably is," she told him.

"And would the lady object?"

Rachel stood on her tip toes and kissed him hard. "The lady is completely fine with it," she told him.

Finn didn't need to be told twice. Quickly pulling the dress she wore over her head, his large hands ran over her body. "Wait," she said and he raised his head from her chest, looking at her incredulously.

"Seriously?"

"Is the door locked?" she asked him.

' "Yeah," he told her, smiling.

"Well then, sir, feel free to continue."

Finn fumbled with the clasp on her bra and removed it, pausing to take a steadying breath. Her body made him crazy. "What's wrong?" Rachel asked.

Finn shook his head, his mouth crashing down on hers. Rachel strained against him, threading her fingers through his hair. They managed to get to the bed and he laid her down gently, settling on top of her. Raising his head, he looked at her. In the warm glow of the sunlight from their bedroom window her full lips looked incredibly red. Finn traced them with his thumb. "I love your mouth," he told her.

Rachel smiled. Finn lowered his head slowly, his eyes closing as his lips touched hers. Rachel wrapped her arms around him, her arms running over the muscles in his back. Breaking away from the kiss, she asked him, "Can I be on top?"

Finn, still dazed from the kiss, nodded slowly and rolled over. Rachel was determined to explore his body the way he had hers. She straddled him and he arched towards her, the bulge in his pants rubbing against her. Gasping, Rachel looked at him. "No fair," she told him. "Behave."

Finn smiled, nodding. Rachel leaned over and kissed his chest, flicking her tongue over his flat nipples. She kissed his ribs, her lips trailing lower. "We need to lose the pants," she said against the skin right above his jeans. She rose and Finn quickly shed his jeans and boxers. While he was doing that, Rachel got rid of her underwear as well. Straddling him again, she smiled as she slid over him. "Now," Finn said desperately, reaching for her hips.

"No," Rachel told him, scooting back a little bit. "Not yet."

"Rachel," he groaned.

Rachel's mouth found his stomach again and she moved lower. Looking into his eyes, Rachel took him into her hands, lovingly caressing him. Finn dropped his head back onto the bed, moaning. Bending down, Rachel took him in her mouth. Finn's head shot back up and he almost came off of the bed. "Jesus Christ, Rachel!" he said.

Smiling, Rachel stroked him as her mouth moved on him. Finn's breathing became shakier as his hands tangled in her hair. When he felt close to the edge he grabbed her, roughly pulling her up and under him, thrusting into her. Rachel cried out, moving with him. Putting his hand between them, he quickly coaxed her to the edge, falling over with her.

"You…I…What…" Finn said, gasping for breath.

Rachel leaned her head over him. "Was that okay?"

"Okay?" he croaked. "My God, Rach, I thought I was going to die. In a good way," he finished quickly.

Rachel laughed, kissing him. "I've wanted to try that," she told him.

"Really?"

"Yes, really." She laid her head down on his chest. "You knew what I taste like. I wanted to know what you taste like."

Finn closed his eyes and for the thousandth time that weekend he thanked the Lord Rachel was his. "I'm okay with that," he told her. "Very, _very _okay with that."

Rachel chuckled. "I figured you would be."

"Hey!" they heard as someone knocked on their door. "We're all getting ready to leave!"

Finn groaned and Rachel yelled, "Coming!"

"Do we have to?" he asked her.

Rachel sighed. "Sadly, yes." She got up and walked into the bathroom, getting cleaned up. Finn soon joined her, still pouting. "You're so cute," she said, laughing.

"I stripped the bed," he told her.

"Okay, good. We have to take all of the bedclothes down to the laundry room and throw them in."

"What else do we need to do?"

"Are our bags packed?"

Finn nodded. "They are. I just finished putting the last few things in yours."

Rachel leaned against the sink. "I guess it's really time to leave," she said, frowning.

"This isn't the end, babe," he told her, walking over and putting his arms around her. "This is just the beginning of something else."

"Something better," she said with a smile.

"Something better," he agreed.

They walked back into the bedroom and grabbed their things; Finn carried the bags and Rachel carried the bedclothes. "I'll meet you out front," she told him. Finn nodded and she walked to the laundry room. Adding her bedclothes to the machine, she turned around to find Lauren behind her. "Hey," she said, smiling.

"What's up, Berry?" the other woman said, adding her own bedclothes.

"Tomorrow's the big day?"

Lauren nodded. "Yeah, I see the doctor tomorrow."

Rachel hugged her, feeling Lauren tense before she returned the hug. "Thanks," Lauren said. "I think I needed that."

"You're welcome," Rachel said, smiling. "Is everyone else ready?"

Lauren shrugged. "I think so. There's so many of us I can never tell."

"That's true," Rachel said.

They walked together through the house. Rachel really was sad about leaving. Knowing that she'd be coming back every summer helped a little though. They met their friends at the front of the house. "Okay, is everyone here?" Quinn asked as Finn put his arms around Rachel. "Blaine has something to say."

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand, and then walked up to stand beside Quinn. "First of all, I just wanted to say that I'm really glad you guys were so accepting of me. It means a lot to me to know that I won't be starting a new school alone." He winked at Kurt. "Secondly, I've talked to some of you, but not all. We're planning a trip to King's Island next weekend. I have enough free passes for everyone. I'll let you all know the details Friday, but I do know it will be an all day trip. I hope you can all come." Everyone nodded.

"I have a Motocross competition the next weekend," Brittany told them all. "It would be really cool if you guys could all come watch me."

"So let me get this straight," Mercedes said, turning around to face the group. "We're going to spend pretty much every weekend together?" Most of her friends shrugged or nodded. A huge smile spread across Mercedes face. "I'm cool with that." Everyone laughed.

"I guess this is it," Quinn said. "I'm really glad that you guys came. I didn't know if anyone would."

Everyone said good-bye and hugged Quinn and each other. "Okay, okay, enough," Puck said after a few minutes. "I'm going to see you assholes in two days."

Rachel laughed, hugging him. "See you in school, Noah."

Puck hugged her back, and then gave Finn a high five, bumping shoulders with him. "We'll see you Friday," Finn told him.

After everyone had left but Finn, Rachel, Sam and Quinn, Rachel hugged the other woman. "I'm glad you invited us," she told her friend. "This has been an amazing few days."

Quinn nodded, smiling. "I'm glad you guys are okay and that things worked out." She looked over to where Finn and Sam were talking. "For everyone."

"This is going to be a good year," Rachel told her. Finn looked over at her and winked. "A really good year."

Finn walked over. "You ready, babe?" Rachel nodded. "Thanks, Quinn, for everything." Quinn nodded. "See you later, Sam."

Finn helped Rachel into his truck and then got in. Driving away from the lake house, "Honey Bee" came on the radio and Finn started signing along. Rachel smiled and took his hand, putting her head on his shoulder.

This really had been the best weekend ever.


	26. Chapter 26

Rachel held Finn's hand tightly as they walked into McKinley High. Every other first day of her high school career had started with a slushie facial and she was prepared for more of the same. She looked up at Finn, who smiled at her reassuringly. She found herself smiling back before she even realized it.

Walking down the front hall, she wondered if any of the other Glee Club members would actually talk to them if they passed by. Sure, they were a family and everyone had said they'd be friends forever, but was that true?

"Hey Berry!" she heard behind her and she automatically flinched.

"What's up, Sam?" Finn asked their friend, bumping fists with him.

"Not much, bro," Sam told him, smiling. "School, right?"

"Right," Finn said.

Sam looked at her. "You look pretty today Rachel," Sam told her.

Rachel blushed, smiling at him. "Thanks, Sam."

"There's my man," Quinn said behind them. Sam reached for her and dipped her, kissing her.

Quinn rose up and laughed. "Rachel, you cut your hair!" Quinn said. "It looks great."

A warm feeling spread through her. "Thanks," she told her friend. Her _friend_, Quinn Fabray. "Your hair always looks great."

Quinn smiled at her, and then pulled on Sam's arm. "Let's go," she told him. Sam saluted them and walked away with her.

Rachel noticed other kids in the hallway staring at her as if they were trying to figure out what just happened. Holding her head high, she put her arm through Finn's. "Yo," Artie said from behind them. Rachel and Finn turned to find him wheeling Tina down the hallway in his lap. "I'd ask if y'all wanted a ride, but it looks like I'm full."

Tina rolled her eyes and kissed him. "We'll see you guys at lunch!" she called as they moved on down the hallway.

"Oh my gosh, Rachel, it's fabulous!" Blaine told her, walking up next to her. "Kurt told me that you'd cut it and that it was great." Blaine stood in front of her, looking at her new hair cut. "It's perfect," he told her, reaching out to touch one of the slightly wavy strands.

"Hey, hey, hey," Finn said in mock seriousness. "You know that this is my woman, right?" Some of the freshman girls around them giggled. "Where's my brother?"

"He's in the bathroom."

Finn grimaced. "Slushie facial?"

"No, scuffed shoe."

Rachel laughed. "That sounds right."

"See you in Calculus, Rach," Blaine said, walking happily down the hall. "Don't forget about Kings Island tomorrow!"

"I swear, it's hard to believe it's his first day here. He acts like he doesn't have a care in the world," Santana said from behind them. "I am so glad you listened to me about your hair, Berry," she said, walking beside Rachel. "What do you think, Finnocence? Isn't it great?"

"I love it," Finn agreed, kissing Rachel on the cheek.

They passed Mike and Mercedes, who were standing at Mercedes locker making out. "Get a room!" Santana yelled at them. The couple broke apart and Mike winked at Santana.

"See you in Calculus, Rachel!" Mercedes called.

"Stupid math," Finn said sullenly. "Everyone has math with you but me."

"You have math with Brittany and Puck," Rachel told him.

Finn sighed. "Yeah, but I'd rather have it with you."

Rachel put her head on his arm. "I'm sorry babe."

"Hey Lauren!" Santana called. "Heard the good news, baby."

Lauren shot them a double thumbs up, and then went back to talking to her wrestling coach. She'd called her friends last night to let them know that she didn't have diabetes. She was still going to come over to Rachel's on Tuesday nights so Rachel could teach her how to cook healthier foods, though. Since Tuesday nights were long practice nights for Finn, it worked out perfectly.

"I smell happiness," Sue said behind them. The three teens turned to look at her. "I don't like it," the woman said, walking past them.

"Some things never change," Santana groaned. "Hey, Coach!" she yelled. "See y'all later," she told Finn and Rachel, running to catch up with Sue.

"Are you going to math class, man?" Puck said from behind Finn. "I was thinking about skipping."

Finn looked at Rachel. "I'm going to go to all of my classes," he told his friend. "It's time to get serious about this school stuff."

Puck walked silently beside them for a moment. "I guess you're right," he said finally. "Shit." He looked over to see Brittany standing with Becky. "Hey Britt, you got a pencil I can borrow for math?"

Brittany nodded. "I like your hair, Rachel," she said. "Mine is prettier, but yours looks good too."

Rachel laughed. "Thanks Brittany."

"I cannot believe the heathens in this school," Kurt said, coming towards them. "No class whatsoever." He pushed his hair back. "Have you guys seen Blaine?"

"I think he went to class," Rachel told him.

Kurt kissed her cheek. "See you there, Little Diva." He winked at Finn, who nodded to him. He passed Azimio and Karaofsky in the hallway and the football players just shrugged and walked past him. When Karaofsky passed Rachel and Finn he said, "Hey," and walked on.

Rachel looked at Finn, shocked. "Is this real life?" she asked.

"Nope," Finn said, stopping in the middle of the hall to kiss her in front of their classmates. "It's better."

Rachel smiled at him as their lips parted. This was perfect. She could finally say goodbye to summer.


End file.
